Lendeborg scores 37 as Warriors beat Clippers
The rookie forward led Golden State to a 124-112 victory over Los Angeles while Stephen Curry rested his injured knee.
By Nia Foster ·
Yaxel Lendeborg scored 37 points on Sunday to lead the Golden State Warriors past the Los Angeles Clippers 124-112. The performance marked the first time a Warriors rookie has reached that scoring threshold in a single game since Stephen Curry scored 42 points in 2010.
Curry, who is 38 years old, sat out the contest to manage a right knee injury. He had averaged 33 points per game over the previous three contests, including a 44-point outing against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. Draymond Green was also absent from the lineup.
Lendeborg, the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, finished with six assists and four rebounds. The 24-year-old American-Dominican forward helped secure a fourth consecutive win for Golden State, which lost its first three games of the season.
The Warriors coach, Steve Kerr, noted that Lendeborg is still adjusting to the speed of the professional game. Kerr stated that the rookie is making a remarkable impact in the first few weeks of the season despite his limited experience.
"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 out there," Kerr said.
Lendeborg described his approach to the game as finding joy in the process. "I'm gonna just continue to try to keep playing with a smile on my face. Maybe throw little dance moves like Steph in once in a while, but I'm gonna just keep trying to find my joy," he said.
Other NBA results on Sunday included a 131-125 win for the Los Angeles Lakers over the Toronto Raptors. Luka Doncic posted 45 points and 15 rebounds for Los Angeles. The Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic 108-97 behind 32 points from Jayson Tatum. The Brooklyn Nets beat the Indiana Pacers 98-90 for their first victory of the season.
