Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg scored a career-high 37 points in Sunday’s 124-112 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, then admitted he lost sight of his usual approach while trying to reach the 40-point mark late in the game.
Lendeborg made 13 of 19 shots, including six three-pointers, and added six assists. He said teammates encouraged him to chase the milestone, but the extra attempts took him away from the team’s offense.
“I’ve never been a stat chaser in my life,” Lendeborg said. “I love efficient basketball.”
The rookie explained that De’Anthony Melton and other teammates urged him to keep shooting after he moved within three points of 40. Lendeborg missed several attempts and said he would not repeat that approach.
“Next time I’m just playing the flow of the game,” he said.
Lendeborg also discussed his step-back three-pointer, which has become an important part of his offensive game. He first experimented with the shot at Michigan and recalled making one against Maryland before continuing to practice it on his own.
“I’m going to try to make that my signature eventually,” he said.
The forward said the Warriors’ spacing has created more opportunities to shoot than he had in college. He also acknowledged that he needs to improve as a playmaker, saying he wants to raise his assist production from the two or three per game he has averaged early in the season toward five or six.
Lendeborg credited Michigan coach Dusty May and assistant Mike Boynton for helping develop his three-point shot. He recalled struggling to make five consecutive shots during an early shooting drill before eventually building enough confidence to make 20 in a row.
He also described his response to a difficult performance against the Lakers on Friday. Lendeborg said he had dwelled on the loss but wanted to return to playing with the joy and confidence that define his game.
“Once I made one today, I was like, ‘OK, that game, it doesn’t happen no more,’” he said.
Despite his 37-point performance, Lendeborg stressed that he still has areas to improve, particularly his playmaking. The Warriors host the Phoenix Suns on Monday night.
