The Golden State Warriors got absolutely clobbered in San Antonio, falling 123-85 to the Spurs, in a game that was basically over before the Dubs even registered a point. They trailed an insane 18-0 at the halfway mark of the first quarter! With Steph Curry sidelined, there was just no way they were going to turn it around on the road against a Spurs squad that rolled into the night riding a 10-game winning streak. Seriously, nobody needs to dwell on this one, but we gotta talk about what went down.
Rookie Lendeborg’s Nightmare Lesson
No sugarcoating this: Yaxel Lendeborg had a brutally rough night, earning a D- grade. This rookie’s first start since Curry went down was a double whammy, and he struggled big time. He played 24 minutes, putting up just 3 points on an abysmal 1-for-13 shooting, including 0-for-2 from deep and 1-for-2 from the free throw line. His true-shooting percentage was a shocking 10.8% against a league average of 57.4%. Lendeborg did grab 7 rebounds and chipped in 1 assist and 1 block, but he also coughed up 3 turnovers and picked up 3 fouls. Facing a team like the Spurs, with a player like Victor Wembanyama and their long, fast, rangy defense, was a completely new challenge for him. You just don’t see that kind of talent in the Big 10. Lendeborg was totally lost trying to deal with it all, though you gotta credit him for not slumping his shoulders and still playing hard on defense and crashing the glass. He ended up leading the team in rebounds, which is wild, but also had the worst plus/minus on the team at -40. Yeah, these games happen to rookies, and they’re part of the process, but this film review is gonna be tough.
Veterans Couldn’t Stem the Tide
De’Anthony Melton got the start with Curry out, and he’s probably going to keep that spot for now. In 18 minutes, he scored 8 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, dished 3 assists, snagged 1 steal, and had 1 block. He shot 3-for-11 from the field and 2-for-6 from three, putting his true-shooting percentage at 36.4% and his plus/minus at -29. Melton had some decent plays, but his inability to penetrate the Spurs’ defense made it super tough for him to really run the offense. He struggled against the Spurs’ speed and length, despite some nice defensive moments. He earned a C grade for his efforts. Draymond Green also had a limited night, playing only 16 minutes. He recorded 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers, along with 3 fouls. He shot 2-for-5 from the field and 0-for-2 from deep, with a 40.0% true-shooting percentage and a -23 plus/minus. Green always feels like a barometer for whether the team is really locked in or not…
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Golden State of Mind.
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