Yaxel Lendeborg kept the Warriors afloat Sunday night in a way that was impossible to ignore.
With Stephen Curry and Draymond Green sitting out the first night of a back-to-back, Golden State leaned on Lendeborg and got a huge return. He handled the offense, knocked down 13 of 19 shots, buried six threes and poured in 37 points in a win over the Clippers.
“It’s remarkable the impact he’s making on these games in the first couple weeks of the season,” coach Steve Kerr said. “It changes everything. On a night like tonight without Steph, we score 124 points and Yax is the main reason we are high powered.”
Through his first seven NBA games, Lendeborg is averaging 22.3 points per game and has quickly put himself in the Rookie of the Year conversation in a draft class that came in with plenty of bigger names. His scoring has helped Golden State jump out to a 4-3 start even while the roster has been thinned by illness and injuries.
Lendeborg also admitted he got caught up in the moment late. After two teammates pushed him to go for 40, he started forcing some threes and missed all of them, giving the Clippers a chance to trim the margin. He said he took the lesson to heart.
“I’ve never been a stat chaser in my life,” Lendeborg said. “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.”
Curry was out for right knee injury management, while Green missed the game because of bilateral low back injury management. Both are expected back tonight against Phoenix, and Al Horford, who played Sunday, will likely sit that one out.
Kerr said those calls come from VP of player health and performance Rick Celebrini. “Today was the better day to give them time to recover coming off that trip,” Kerr told reporters before Sunday’s game.
Kerr also addressed Gui Santos, who was asked to take on more playmaking last season when Curry and Jimmy Butler were hurt. This year, Kerr wants him to simplify things and play within a deeper roster.
“Last year you had to be a little wild at times to try to force things because we didn’t have enough. We have enough now,” Kerr said. “… We can’t force the issue, and I think sometimes he is forcing the issue, but he’s perfectly cut out to play the style we’re playing, because he’s got a lot of skill.”
Santos’ night ended early because of knee tendinitis, according to Slater. Kerr said he’ll rest tonight and then be reevaluated.
In Other News...
Clippers Just Got A Harsh Look At Golden States New Threat
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.
Steve Kerr did not sound surprised by the burst, and his postgame view only adds to the intrigue around Lendeborgs early rise. The Warriors coach praised what he has already shown while also making clear there is still plenty of room for growth, which is exactly the sort of warning sign opponents do not love hearing in November. For the Clippers, it was a harsh look at a new threat, and perhaps only the first one. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Get A Huge Opening Against A Shorthanded Warriors Team
The Clippers are set to catch a break against Golden State, with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green expected to sit out the matchup as the Warriors continue to manage their veterans carefully. Steve Kerr confirmed the plan after consulting with the teams medical staff and the players, keeping the approach centered on rest and recovery rather than pushing either star into another game too soon.
It leaves Los Angeles facing a version of the Warriors that will look different in a meaningful way, even if Golden State still insists on staying competitive through the wear and tear of the season. Curry also addressed Jimmy Butlers ongoing recovery from an ACL injury, a reminder that the Warriors bigger challenge remains balancing health with the need to keep pace while key pieces come and go. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Defensive Problems Exposed Again By Warriors Breakout Night
The Clippers ran into another rough defensive night as Golden State kept rolling, extending its winning streak with a 124-112 result that never really let Los Angeles settle in. The Warriors got a breakout performance from rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, who was everywhere offensively and set the tone for a group effort that kept the Clippers chasing for much of the night.
DeAnthony Melton and Brandin Podziemski each played important supporting roles, while Charles Bassey, Brandon Williams and Al Horford all chipped in to keep the pressure on. For the Clippers, the bigger concern is less the final margin than the pattern it reflects, with too many opponents finding ways to create clean looks and control stretches of the game against them. [Read more 🡒]