Yaxel Lendeborg sets Warriors rookie record with 37 points
The 6-foot-10 forward matched Stephen Curry's 2010 mark in a win over the Clippers, but a late-game attempt to reach 40 points briefly threatened the lead.
By Jonathan Hoffmann ·
Yaxel Lendeborg scored 37 points on Sunday night, marking the highest single-game total for a Golden State Warriors rookie since Stephen Curry in 2010.
The rookie forward went 13 of 19 from the floor and 6 of 10 from deep in the 124-112 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. This performance came during the second game of a back-to-back, a night the team used to rest Curry and Draymond Green. Lendeborg had already reached 30 points twice in his first two weeks in the league, a stark contrast to his college career where he reached that mark only once in 112 games.
Lendeborg’s jump shot has improved drastically since his time at the University of Michigan. He averaged only one three-point attempt per game at UAB, but under coach Dusty May at Michigan, he shot 37% on 4.5 attempts per game. The change was driven by a shift to a small forward role that demanded more perimeter volume.
Coach Steve Kerr noted that the team did not anticipate such an immediate impact. "When he came into work out for us [in June], you could see the skill. But I didn't expect what I saw tonight," Kerr said. The Warriors have sought a secondary scorer since Jimmy Butler tore his ACL last January, and Lendeborg has filled that void with 22.7 points per game over his first seven appearances.
The night was not without a stumble. With the Warriors leading comfortably late in the fourth quarter, teammates De'Anthony Melton and Will Richard told Lendeborg he was three points away from 40. Lendeborg took three difficult shots and missed all of them. The Clippers used the momentum to cut the deficit to eight points before a timeout stopped the run.
"I've never been a stat chaser in my life," Lendeborg said after the game. "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."
Kerr pulled Lendeborg for the final stretch, allowing the Warriors to secure their fourth win in a row after starting the season 0-3. The rookie currently averages 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists alongside his scoring.
