The Golden State Warriors kept rolling Friday night, taking down the Los Angeles Clippers 124-112 for their fourth straight win. The headline belonged to Yaxel Lendeborg, who turned in a career night with 37 points and made the game look easy while doing it.
Lendeborg’s breakout was the kind of performance that grabs the whole building. He shot 13-19 from the field, buried 6-11 from three, and added six assists in 34 minutes. Golden State needed scoring, and the rookie supplied it from everywhere on the floor.
He wasn’t carrying the load by himself, though. De’Anthony Melton stayed hot from long range, Brandin Podziemski filled up the box score, and the Warriors’ passing kept the Clippers chasing all night. Golden State finished with 32 assists and five blocks, and at one point owned a game-high 22-point lead.
The shooting numbers told the story, too. The Warriors hit 53.5% from the field and 44.9% from three-point range, while Los Angeles finished at 44.0% overall and 35.9% from deep. That gap was a big reason the game never really tilted back toward the Clippers.
Melton was electric as a floor-spacer, knocking down 6-8 from three on his way to 21 points in 28 minutes. He also added six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block, finishing with a plus-20 rating. That kind of two-way pop gave Golden State another jolt whenever the offense started to settle.
Podziemski kept the engine humming with 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in 37 minutes. He only had one turnover, and even though he wasn’t sharp from deep, his all-around line gave the Warriors exactly the kind of steady backcourt production they needed.
The bench also did its part. Brandon Williams scored 17 points on 7-11 shooting and chipped in three assists and a block. Charles Bassey gave Golden State a strong interior presence with 10 rebounds in 20 minutes, while Al Horford knocked down three threes and added five boards, two assists and a block.
Gary Payton II contributed five points, two assists and a steal in 15 minutes. Gui Santos added four points, three rebounds and a block.
Graham Ike converted his only shot and grabbed two rebounds in six minutes. Will Richard handed out three assists without a turnover, and Georges Niang had a quieter night, finishing with three points, two assists and two turnovers.
LJ Cryer did not receive a grade.
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The Clippers got a first-hand reminder that Golden State may have another young scorer worth tracking in Yaxel Lendeborg. The Warriors rookie put up 37 points against Los Angeles, the highest total by a Golden State rookie since Steph Currys 2009-10 season, and he did it while playing 34 minutes and adding 4 rebounds and 6 assists. For a Clippers team trying to measure itself against the West's better clubs, that kind of breakout from a first-year player stands out.
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What has stood out most is how cleanly his game is fitting into what the Clippers need around their main options. Jones has been efficient from the floor, active on the glass and disruptive defensively, which is the kind of profile that can quietly change the shape of a game. The bigger question now is how far that impact can go when the matchups get even tougher. [Read more 🡒]