Warriors
Yaxel Lendeborg followed his worst NBA game with his best. The Warriors didn’t even need Stephen Curry or Draymond Green in uniform to keep winning.
Lendeborg scored a career-high 37 points in Sunday’s 124-112 win over the Clippers, making six of 11 threes and handing out six assists against two turnovers. Golden State has won four straight after opening 0-3.
Joey Akeley of Warriors On SI came away convinced that Lendeborg’s outside shooting is legitimate. The rookie is at 40.9 percent through seven games, and these aren’t all uncontested shots with time to line up the seams. He made two step-back threes Sunday.
With Curry and Green resting, Steve Kerr started De’Anthony Melton and Charles Bassey. Melton scored 21 points with six threes, while Bassey grabbed 10 rebounds. Brandon Williams supplied 17 points off the bench, and Al Horford made three threes.
Raptors
The Raptors lost Jakob Poeltl shortly before tipoff Sunday. His absence was noticeable once the game started, too.
Poeltl was ruled out with shoulder bursitis, leaving Toronto short inside during a 131-125 loss to the Lakers, as Jeremy Brener of Raptors On SI writes.
Trayce Jackson-Davis started but played just nine minutes. Toronto struggled with the size difference, and Luka Doncic made the rest of the assignment considerably harder. Doncic scored 45 points, made eight threes and collected 15 rebounds.
The Raptors did force 22 turnovers, including 14 steals, giving themselves opportunities to get back in it. They cut the deficit to five in the final minute but couldn’t finish the comeback.
Toronto stays in Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Monday. Poeltl’s availability will be worth watching for a team already missing Kawhi Leonard.
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Hawks
Kingston Flemings’ one-game suspension leaves the Hawks without their rookie point guard Monday against Indiana. The frontcourt could be thin as well.
Jalen Johnson is questionable, while Jock Landale, Mouhamed Gueye and Henri Veesaar are out, according to Jackson Caudell of Hawks On SI. Flemings was suspended for elbowing Pelicans guard Bryce McGowens on Saturday.
Caudell identified heavier minutes for Aaron Wiggins and a possible opportunity for two-way guard RayJ Dennis as options for handling Flemings’ absence.
Up front, Asa Newell played more than 18 minutes after Landale was hurt Saturday, finishing with 13 points and four rebounds. Caudell also pointed to rookie Zuby Ejiofor as a possibility, with Dorian Finney-Smith offering a potential small-ball alternative at center.
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