Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg Admits 'Worst Game of My Life' After Loss to Luka Doncic

The boos rained down from the rafters inside Chase Center as Luka Doncic touched the ball Friday night, a response to an earlier spat with Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. However, by the end of the game, it was Lendeborg who felt the spotlight should have been on him for what he described as "the worst game of my life."

This highly anticipated rematch with Doncic and the Lakers came just days after Lendeborg stated he had "lost all respect" for Doncic following their initial encounter on Oct. 21. In their second matchup, the Warriors rookie was held to single digits for the first time in his young NBA career.

In the 112-95 victory, the Warriors were outscored by 20 points with Lendeborg on the court for 24 minutes. He attempted only three shots, made one free throw, and finished with six points. He also recorded zero assists, committed five turnovers, and fouled out with 2:45 remaining in the game.

"He’s a really confident guy," coach Steve Kerr said of Lendeborg. "Tonight just didn’t go his way. Everybody has nights like this. The key is to bounce back with aggression and confidence."

Doncic led all scorers with 37 points, including several contested by Lendeborg. Meanwhile, the Warriors' Steph Curry contributed 31 points, hitting eight three-pointers to help carry the team.

"We’re asking a lot of him," Curry said of Lendeborg. "He has a lot of responsibility. He’s playing a ton of minutes. He’s got the ball in his hands a lot. So there are going to be highs and lows to it. … It’s a tough demand, but I think he’s built for it, and I’m pretty sure he’ll respond extremely well the next game."

Lendeborg acknowledged that he had aimed to remain poised and keep his cool during the game, but felt he might have been "a little too calm" and consequently out of sorts. "I was just in my head the whole time," he admitted.

Reflecting on his performance, Lendeborg's main takeaway was a desire to avoid such an outcome in the future. "Jesus,” he said. “Man, honestly, I don’t even know. Try not to wet the bed as bad as I did. Or when you’re having moments like that, try to lean on your teammates a little more."

Curry offered a different perspective on Lendeborg's demeanor, noting his even-keeled presence. "What I love is he’s really established an even-keel kind of presence and mentality that it helps on nights like tonight [that] don’t go his way because he doesn’t kill the energy on the team," Curry said. "We have his back through all of that."

Kerr advised Lendeborg to quickly move past the game, emphasizing the demanding NBA schedule with upcoming games against the Clippers and Suns. "You can’t dwell on tough games," Kerr said. "Young players tend to dwell on things a little bit. And then all of a sudden there’s another game and another game after that. You can’t let anything build up. You have to move forward."

Lendeborg, who admitted to being "a big dweller on bad games," chuckled when informed of Kerr's advice. "I don’t know how long that’s gonna take to get out of that habit," he said. "But I’ll see what I can do."