Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg says he regrets chasing 40 after 37-point night
Golden State rookie Yaxel Lendeborg scored 37 against the Clippers, then said his teammates talked him into chasing 40 and it nearly cost the Warriors.
Yaxel Lendeborg had the best scoring night by a Golden State rookie in more than 15 years on Sunday. Afterward, he spent much of his time talking about how he finished it. The rookie forward scored 37 points in the Golden State Warriors' 124-112 win over the Los Angeles Clippers at Chase Center. Then he admitted that teammates had talked him into chasing 40 in the closing minutes, and that the chase almost cost the team the game.
Lendeborg told reporters, as relayed by the New York Post, that De'Anthony Melton approached him late, pointed out he was three points short of 40 and held the ball to set him up. Will Richard joined in. Lendeborg missed the shot. He said the Clippers answered with a string of threes while he was hunting points, and he promised to stay within the flow of the offense from now on. "I've never been a stat chaser in my life," he said, calling his lapse a result of peer pressure.
The night was strong without the last few minutes. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Lendeborg played just under 34 minutes and shot 13 of 19 from the field and 5 of 6 at the line. He added six assists. He did it with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green resting on the first night of a back-to-back, and two days after the worst game of his short career. CBS Sports noted it was the highest-scoring game by a Warriors rookie since Curry scored 42 in 2010. Lendeborg made six of his 11 threes, and he is averaging 22.3 points through seven games, making him only the third Warriors rookie to top 20 a game over that stretch. Reaching 40 would have put him within two points of Curry's rookie mark.
Steve Kerr's assessment, per the Post, was that Lendeborg is producing this much before he really understands the NBA game, and that he will keep improving.
What it means for Phoenix
The Warriors go into Monday's game against the Phoenix Suns at Chase Center, which is in progress, having won four straight after an 0-3 start. They are 4-3 and have beaten the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Lakers and Clippers by an average of more than 13 points. One of their three losses came against Phoenix on Oct. 24, a 131-122 defeat on the road. Devin Booker scored 43 that night, and Lendeborg added 26 for Golden State.
The rematch should look different on the Warriors' side. Yahoo Sports reported that Curry, who was managing his right knee, and Green, who was resting his lower back, were both expected back after sitting Sunday. Neither played in the first meeting with Phoenix. Al Horford remains out with a back injury, and Gui Santos is out with knee tendinitis. Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody are still recovering from surgery.
With Curry back, Lendeborg moves from first option to complementary scorer. That role may suit the efficiency-first approach he described after Sunday's win. It also makes the second night of a back-to-back a good early test of whether this four-game run continues.
