Four Straight Wins Without the Two Stars Show the Bench Can Shoot
The Warriors beat the Clippers 124-112 on Lendeborg's scoring and a second unit that shot well, and the late scare shows how thin that cushion is.
Golden State won its fourth straight, 124-112 over the Clippers, with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green resting. A 22-point lead shrank to eight before the Warriors closed it out.
Who carried the scoring?
Yaxel Lendeborg scored 37 on 13-of-19 shooting, 6 of 11 from three, in 34 minutes. He averages 19.8 points through six games this season, so this was nearly double his usual night. De'Anthony Melton added 21 on 6-of-8 from deep and finished +20 in 28 minutes, the best mark on the roster. Melton averages 10.3 points this season, so a night like this is a bonus, not a baseline. Brandon Williams gave 17 points in 25 minutes at +15, and the bench outscored its opponent's counterpart by a comfortable margin, 38 points to the starters' 84.
What decided the game?
The Clippers led 37-26 after a 10-0 burst late in the first quarter. Golden State answered with 10-0 to tie the game early in the second, led 63-57 at halftime, and pulled away with a 9-0 stretch in the third. A 14-0 burst early in the fourth built the lead to 22. Then the Clippers ran off 13 straight and forced a Warriors timeout at 110-118 with 2:14 left. That burst came inside the final five minutes, when Podziemski, Bassey, Melton, Richard and Lendeborg were the group Kerr leaned on. Melton and Lendeborg combined for 17 of the Warriors' 32 fourth-quarter points.
Who earned the grades?
Lendeborg gets an A for efficient volume with only two turnovers. Melton earns an A-, held back by four turnovers. Brandin Podziemski gets a B+ for 17 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists across 37 minutes, though he shot 2 of 7 from three. Charles Bassey's 10 rebounds in 20 minutes were quiet and useful. At the other end, Will Richard was -4 in 22 minutes and Georges Niang finished at 0 in 21, the only two rotation players who did not leave the floor ahead.
What does it change?
The Warriors are 4-3, ninth in the West, a half game behind sixth-place San Antonio and level with tenth-place Minnesota. Their pace projects to 47-35. The Suns arrive tonight at 1-3 with a defensive rating of 125.8 this season, over four games, and they beat Golden State 131-122 on October 24. By our count, six rotation players are out today, 157 minutes of absence, and the Warriors rank second of 30 in minutes lost since opening night. Curry and Green carry a Monday return date. If both play, the real test is whether this bench keeps its shooting touch in smaller roles.
What was the score of the Warriors-Clippers game on November 1?
Golden State won 124-112 for its fourth straight win, moving to 4-3 and ninth in the West. Yaxel Lendeborg led all scorers with 37 points.
Are Stephen Curry and Draymond Green playing against the Suns?
Both were listed out for rest on Sunday and carry a return date of November 2, the day of the Suns game. Nothing in their listings says they are hurt beyond that.
