Yaxel Lendeborg kept the Golden State Warriors afloat for a while on Wednesday night, but Stephen Curry’s early exit turned the whole night into a warning sign.
Curry left in the first quarter with an abdominal injury, and from there the burden on the rookie forward only grew heavier. Lendeborg answered with another eye-catching performance, finishing with 25 points and 10 rebounds, yet the Warriors faded late in a 115-108 loss that snapped their eight-game winning streak.
The first half showed exactly why Golden State has leaned on him so hard. After the Warriors fell behind 35-20 and lost Curry for the rest of the game, Lendeborg kept attacking and kept making shots. He had 18 points and eight rebounds before halftime, helping the visitors claw back with support from Brandin Podziemski as they trimmed Houston’s lead to five by the break.
The second half told a different story. Lendeborg managed just seven points and two rebounds after halftime, and the Warriors never fully recovered. Whether fatigue played a major role or Houston simply tightened its defense on the 24-year-old without Curry on the floor, the drop-off was obvious.
That’s the concern for Golden State now. Curry’s status is still unclear, but if he misses time, the pressure on Lendeborg is only going to spike. He logged more than 36 minutes Wednesday night, and the Warriors turn right around to face the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.
Steve Kerr doesn’t have many other places to turn. If Lendeborg isn’t carrying a heavy load and soaking up major usage, it’s hard to see where the offense comes from after Golden State shot 40.2% from the field and 32% from three-point range.
For a team that came in with the second-ranked offense in the league, the loss still counted as a respectable fight, especially with the Warriors already tagged as underdogs before Curry went down less than six minutes into the game. But the bigger question is what happens next, and whether this stretch of momentum can survive if the roster keeps getting thinner.
Beyond Lendeborg, only Podziemski with 19 points, LJ Cryer with 13 and De’Anthony Melton with 11 reached double figures.
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