The Golden State Warriors welcomed the Los Angeles Clippers to Oracle Arena in San Francisco on a night when Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were ruled out. Curry earned a much-needed rest after his ankle breaker against Luka Doncic but rookie Yaxel Lendeborg took the court in a game that quickly became personal for him.
Lendeborg summoned emotion and strength as he led the Warriors to a big home win while accomplishing a career-high in the process. He knocked down a three on the right wing that got him to 32 points, got Curry out of his seat, and announced his arrival as a Rookie of the Year candidate.
YAXEL LENDEBORG WITH A NEW CAREER-HIGH OF 32 POINTS 🔥
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 2, 2026
Lendeborg shot a blistering 11-of-13 from the field heading into the fourth quarter and continued to pour it on as the Dubs took home a 124-112 win. He outshone number five overall draft pick Keaton Wagler with 37 points on the night to seven points in nineteen minutes for Wagler.
Article Continues BelowThe Warriors witnessed the Valkyries win the WNBA championship and sent their congratulations prior to the game. Lendeborg isn't causing fans to crown the Dubs as title contenders just yet, but he is putting the entire NBA on notice that a rookie can dominate, and play like a veteran, coming off of a national championship run with the Michigan Wolverines last season.
Lendeborg's age (24) was seen by some as a negative, which may have contributed to him slipping to the 11th overall pick, six spots behind Wagler. His success so far as a rookie is defining what it means to be taken in the NBA Draft on the older end of the spectrum, giving NBA GMs a lot to think about, and a lot of regrets, in the process.