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Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg recorded a career-high 37 points to lead Golden State to a 124-112 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg recorded a career-high 37 points on Sunday to lead the Warriors to a 124-112 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in San Francisco. The win marked the Warriors' fourth consecutive victory after opening the season with three consecutive losses.
Lendeborg, a 6-foot-10 forward, shot 13 of 19 from the field, which included six 3-pointers. Four of those six 3-pointers were made off the dribble. In addition to his scoring, Lendeborg recorded six assists and four rebounds.
According to game statistics, Lendeborg's 37 points represent the highest scoring performance by a Warriors rookie since Stephen Curry scored 42 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on April 14, 2010. Lendeborg has now recorded two 30-point performances in his first seven NBA games, joining Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry as the only other Warriors to do so.
His season averages currently stand at 22.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. His recent scoring outputs include games of 26, 26, 31, and 37 points.
The Warriors played the contest without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Curry, a 38-year-old veteran, missed the game to manage a "troublesome right knee." The team was also without Jimmy Butler, who is recovering from an ACL injury.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Lendeborg's emergence "changes everything" for the team. Kerr noted that the team discovered it is capable of winning without its biggest names. Regarding Lendeborg's performance, Kerr said, "He's playing this way and he really doesn't know the NBA game yet. The game is still really fast for him, but he's so skilled and so talented that he's making all kinds of plays. He's going to get a lot better."
Lendeborg addressed his increased responsibility during Curry's absence, stating, "Whenever Steph's not in the game, it's my opportunity to try to be the leader, be the main guy on the team."
Late in the game, with Golden State holding a comfortable lead, teammates De'Anthony Melton and Will Richard informed Lendeborg he was three points away from reaching 40 points. Lendeborg subsequently attempted three 3-pointers and missed all of them, which allowed the Clippers to reduce the deficit to eight points. Kerr responded by calling a timeout and removing the rookie from the game.
Lendeborg commented on the incident, saying, "I've never been a stat chaser in my life. Falling into peer pressure like I did just now was bad on my part. I'm a guy that loves ethical hoops. I kind of didn't do that for the last two or three minutes."
Lendeborg was selected 11th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. He signed a four-year contract worth $28.1 million, including $12.5 million guaranteed.
Before entering the NBA, Lendeborg played for Michigan, where he was named Big Ten Player of the Year. During his time at Michigan, he averaged 15.1 points per game and shot 37% on 4.5 three-point attempts per game. Prior to Michigan, he played for UAB, where he averaged 13.8 and 17.7 points during two seasons, following three years in junior college.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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