Yaxel Lendeborg ‘would have cried’ after another loss, then scores 31 for the Warriors’ first win as Kerr says he will close games

Yaxel Lendeborg had a simple explanation for why Monday night meant so much to him. “I would have cried if we lost again,” the Golden State Warriors rookie said after scoring a career-high 31 points in a 134-114 win over the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena, Golden State’s first win of the season.

Lendeborg finished with 31 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes, and he was plus-27. He became the first Warriors rookie to post at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game since Stephen Curry did it on February 10, 2010.

Yaxel WENT OFF in Golden State's win 🔥

31 PTS (career-high)
12 REB (game-high)
6 AST

He becomes the first @warriors rookie since Steph Curry (2/10/2010) to record 30+ PTS, 10+ REB, and 5+ AST in a single game! pic.twitter.com/FYe42bFtD8

— NBA (@NBA) October 27, 2026

Lendeborg’s 31-point night in Denver, posted by the NBA on X.

Thirteen free throws and one made three

The rookie did not do it from deep. He went 1-of-8 from three and 9-of-19 from the field, but he got to the line 13 times and made 12, and four of his 12 rebounds came on the offensive glass. That was the part that surprised him most.

“Absolutely, especially this game,” Lendeborg said when asked if his numbers were surprising even him. “I had 13 free throws and that’s crazy. That’s absurd for me. And on a night where I can’t make a three for nothing, it’s crazy. This is my best game so far, because it was very frustrating for me. But I’m just glad that we got our first win. I’m very happy about that.”

He also talked about sharing the floor with players he grew up watching. “I actually played with DeMar DeRozan in 2K all the time, so that’s kind of where my passion for seeing him came from,” he said. “Jamal Murray was the highlights, obviously, the bubble highlights.” Hearing those players tell him to keep going after games, he said, “doesn’t feel real for me” and “makes me emotional all the time.”

Yaxel Lendeborg said he is “absolutely” surprising himself with his early stat lines

Here is some postgame sound including a reflection on his interactions with DeMar DeRozan pic.twitter.com/MDeLQct41R

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 27, 2026

Lendeborg’s postgame comments, posted by Anthony Slater on X.

‘He’s going to be a guy who closes games’

Two days earlier in Phoenix, Steve Kerr had praised Lendeborg’s fearlessness and called his weak-side defense “very poor.” On Monday he talked about the end of games. With the Warriors up big in the fourth quarter and Curry and Draymond Green on the bench, Lendeborg set up an Al Horford three, finished a transition lob and found Gui Santos for another three.

“He’s strong as an ox and skilled, and the way the game is played, he’s going to be able to get to the line,” Kerr said. “And you saw tonight, basically in all the critical moments of the game, we just put the ball in his hands. And for a rookie to be that advanced already, it’s extremely rare. But it’s exciting, because I think he’s going to get a lot better.”

Kerr compared the free throws to what Jimmy Butler brought when he arrived. “It changes everything. When you get to the line consistently, you can control the game,” he said. “The other team goes on a run, you go to a guy like Yax or Jimmy, get fouled, the game slows down, you set your defense, and the game just gets a lot easier. And so Yax having that ability, combined with his passing skills, he’s going to be a guy who’s going to close games like he did today.”

Kerr also said there is still work to do. He said Lendeborg is still “a little out of control on some plays” and needs to learn to take an extra dribble and slow down when he attacks a big man, as he did once in transition in the first half.

Curry perfect, Podziemski plus-33

Curry, back after sitting out in Phoenix, went 8-of-8 from the field, 3-of-3 from three and 5-of-5 at the line for 24 points in 27 minutes, with 21 of them after halftime. It was the second perfect shooting night of his career. Brandin Podziemski added 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists and was plus-33, and Green wanted him to get his share of the credit.

“BP was really, really good. The force he played with. Plus-33, that’s nuts,” Green said. “We’re all talking about Yaxel, and that’s great. He was incredible. But him and BP carried the load tonight, and that was special to see, them two young guys coming into their own.”

Through four games, Lendeborg has 87 points, 37 rebounds and 19 assists. Golden State, now 1-3, plays at Minnesota on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, which is 3 a.m. Thursday in Cairo. The Lakers visit the Warriors on Friday, October 30.