The Warriors got absolutely steamrolled by the Spurs on Friday night, taking a soul-crushing 38-point beating that exposed just how tough life without Stephen Curry is going to be. Curry is sidelined for at least two weeks, maybe more, with an oblique tear, and in their first game without him, it looked like a completely different team out there.
The Warriors Got Hit by a Freight Train
Look, we knew this was going to be tough. Losing a guy like Curry, arguably the greatest shooter ever, is always going to sting. But this wasn’t just a loss; it was a total demolition. The Spurs came out like Mike Tyson against Michael Spinks, hitting the Warriors with an 18-0 run right from the jump and never once looking back. They absolutely throttled the Warriors, and the hope of “staying in the fight” for a bit evaporated faster than a puddle in the desert. The defense was primarily focused elsewhere, but it felt like no one could step up.
Yaxel Lendeborg’s Nightmare Game and Raw Truth
The biggest question mark for the Warriors moving forward is who steps into that alpha role, and all eyes were on rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. He’s been an absolute revelation to start his career, averaging north of 20 points per game on super efficient shooting through his first 12 contests. We just saw him drop 37 points in a win over the Clippers when Curry was out two weeks ago, and he put up 25 points and 10 rebounds against the physical Rockets on Wednesday when Curry only played six minutes. He’s proven he can carry a load. So, could he do it again against the Spurs?
Nope. A hard, emphatic NO. Lendeborg finished with a paltry three points on 1-of-13 shooting. It was his worst game by a mile, and he did not hold back afterward. “We just got the s–t beat out of us,” Lendeborg said. “I was flustered the entire game. I couldn’t make a damn layup. I don’t even know, man.” He’s not shying away from it either, adding, “I’m not going to move past this. Everybody is saying throw it out the window. I can’t throw a damn thing out the window. We just lost by like a hundred. I’m f–ked up mentally right now. It was an awful performance by me. I let everybody on this team down. I’m not gonna forget this ever. I don’t remember the last time I got beat like this the whole entire game, with no hope at all. It felt helpless out there.”
“Helpless.” Man, that’s a gut punch of a word, but it perfectly sums up the night. It’s a stark reminder of what happens when you take away a player who commands so much defensive attention and still puts up 30 points a night. Lendeborg’s honesty is refreshing, you gotta give him that. You want a player who cares, who beats himself up after a night like that.
The Warriors now face at least two more weeks, and possibly longer, without their superstar. They’ve got to find a way to claw their way back, to find some semblance of competitive fire. Lendeborg’s baptism by fire was brutal, but how he responds to this ‘helpless’ feeling will define the next few weeks for this team.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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