Warriors win over Lakers in Vegas, 101-89

On a night dominated by the apparent status of Kristaps Porzingis, the absence of the Latvian big was felt at times during the Golden State Warriors’ 101-89 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Steve Kerr’s intention to spread the floor in a so-called ‘5-out’ alignment banked on players who are able to space to floor — including their center. Porzingis happens to fit that profile, while also being 7-foot-3-inches. Without Porzingis — and also not having Al Horford available tonight — the Warriors were not only small, they were bereft of shooting and spacing personnel.

Advertisement

That was apparent at times during this game, where the Warriors were able to rally back from a significant deficit, albeit during a time when both teams’ main characters’ nights were finished (one of them, Luka Doncic, did not suit up for the Lakers).

Once again, it was rookie Yaxel Lendeborg who stood out. He finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in just under 24 minutes of time on the floor. He once again flashed familiarity and comfort as an offensive player within Steve Kerr’s often-intricate scheme while displaying motor and hustle that gave the Warriors a couple of second-chance points.

Lendeborg’s touted versatility as an offensive operator was apparent tonight. As an off-ball spacer, he has been showing promise, especially off of Steph Curry’s on-ball adventures through the pick-and-roll. Lendeborg can be a corner spacer taking advantage of ‘tag’ situations, as he does below:

Interestingly, Lendeborg can also be the main character in a spread pick-and-roll configuration, with Curry playing the role of mostly standstill spacer. Lendeborg has on-ball juice and the handle to be able to keep such possessions stable, while also making use of change-of-pace craft in order to create a window for him to score up close:

There is plenty of evidence with regard to Lendeborg’s role versatility on offense. Perhaps his most important role in a Curry offense is as a screener, either on or off the ball. Off the ball screening provides Lendeborg ample opportunity to take advantage of Curry’s…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/warriors-win-over-lakers-vegas-073005234.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-10-14 07:30:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.