Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg delivered a 31-point, 12-rebound double-double on October 26, 2026, leading the Golden State Warriors to a 134-114 road victory over the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena to secure the team’s first win of the season.
Yaxel Lendeborg Breaks Out with 31 Points at Ball Arena
The Golden State Warriors notched their first victory of the 2026-27 NBA season on Monday night, dismantling the Denver Nuggets in a 134-114 win at Ball Arena. The Warriors relied on a career night from rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, who led all scorers with 31 points and 12 rebounds.
Lendeborg spent 31 minutes on the floor, adding six assists and a block. He converted only one of his eight 3-point attempts, but the 24-year-old rookie finished 9-of-19 from the field and sank 12 of his 13 free-throw attempts.
SPLASH ☔️ pic.twitter.com/Q8bZNojag0
I think that’s the exciting part, is where this can go. There’s still probably 10 plays that I could pull up on tape where he made mistakes, either defensively, or offensively. Not recognizing something that he needs to recognize. Despite all that, he just dominated the game and took over. At 24, in his fourth game … pretty impressive. We’re gonna keep coaching him, and keep trying to get him to learn the NBA game, and make the most of that enormous potential he’s got.
Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors head coach
Stephen Curry Scores 24 Points Without Missing a Shot
Stephen Curry provided ruthless efficiency, scoring 24 points without missing a single shot by going 8-for-8 from the field, 3-for-3 from deep, and 5-for-5 at the free-throw line. It marked only the second time in his career that he completed a game without a miss from the floor.
Curry praised the rookie’s composure after the final buzzer.
Rook with the block and the scoop 😮💨📺 @Peacock pic.twitter.com/r0l40zZzRD
He’s just got composure and feel. …His size on the court, he’s a matchup problem, but he’s never really in a hurry and he’s starting to see the pictures really well. (He’s) distributing and being aggressive getting the free throw line, offensive rebound. Kind of a full package, so we want him to still continue to play aggressive.
Stephen Curry, GoldenState Warriors guard
Brandin Podziemski contributed 18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists while finishing with a team-high plus-33 rating. Draymond Green added seven assists and spearheaded the defensive effort against Nikola Jokic.
Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets Stumble on Defense
Nikola Jokic posted 19 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds, but the Nuggets lost his minutes by 16 points. Head coach David Adelman expressed blunt dissatisfaction with his squad’s lack of physicality after the team allowed 44 attempts from 3-point range.
David Adelman said that the Nuggets lost the first battle throughout the night.
Forward Aaron Gordon was ejected in the fourth quarter after arguing a foul call. DeMar DeRozan led Denver off the bench with 21 points, while Jamal Murray chipped in 19 points as the Nuggets dropped to a 1-2 record on the season.
Split the defense. Finished the play. 📺 @peacock pic.twitter.com/i2N3JwN67h
Warriors Rebound from Opening Skid as Teams Return to Action
The victory brings Golden State’s record to 1-3. Through his first four career appearances, Lendeborg has accumulated 87 total points—the highest mark for a Warriors rookie in his first four games since Wilt Chamberlain in 1959.
The Warriors travel to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, October 28, while the Nuggets begin a two-game road trip against the New Orleans Pelicans on the same night. Can Lendeborg sustain this historic scoring pace against Minnesota’s frontcourt?
The Dubs are ROLLING in Denver 🔥 pic.twitter.com/0FW1HRci7z
More on Golden State Warriors
Draymond drops a DIME to Podz 🙌 pic.twitter.com/jA4P6o81fc
Steve Kerr on Yaxel Lendeborg’s 31-12-6 in Denver“In all the critical spots, we put the ballIn his hands. For a rookie to be that advanced already is extremely rare.”“He’s going to be a guy who closes games.” pic.twitter.com/vIFq4CqigY
Yaxel Lendeborg is HOOPIN' 🔥Steph is LOVING IT.Yaxel's got 27 PTS and 11 REB heading into Q4! pic.twitter.com/DdiJ84l4Fq
Yaxel Lendeborg is the first Warriors rookie since Chris Webber (1993) to score in double figures in each of his first four career games. pic.twitter.com/k6bx9fjk4o
Yaxel WENT OFF in Golden State's win 🔥31 PTS (career-high)12 REB (game-high)6 ASTHe 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
YAXEL ALLEY-OOP SLAM 💥He's got 31 PTS, 12 REB, and 6 AST as the Warriors lead in Q4! pic.twitter.com/Nig0QhncIG
Yaxel Lendeborg through three quarters:27 PTS11 REB+22🔥 pic.twitter.com/KHnlQfeGxl