Wagner impresses in the Nets’ first win – Lendeborg shines with a career-high

In the Brooklyn Nets’ first win against the Indiana Pacers, Moritz Wagner also impressed with a solid all-round performance. For the Golden State Warriors, who secured their fourth consecutive victory against the LA Clippers, rookie Yaxel Lendeborg shone with a career-high, equalling the records of two Hall of Famers.

The Brooklyn Nets have celebrated their first win after previously suffering five defeats in five matches. The top scorers in the match against the Indiana Pacers were Michael Porter Jr. with 23 points and Julius Randle, who scored 20 points. Day’Ron Sharpe also impressed with a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds. Moritz Wagner also put in a strong performance in 21 minutes on the court: the Berlin native scored 14 points, shooting 4 out of 6 from the field, and also grabbed six rebounds.

After a narrow 43–40 lead at half-time, the Nets pulled away for the first time in the third quarter, building a lead of up to twelve points; however, the Pacers stayed in the game and, thanks to three-pointers from Larry Nance Jr. and Andrew Nembhard, cut the deficit to three points in the final quarter. Indiana, who now stand at 2–5, could not get any closer. The Pacers’ top scorer was Nembhard with 23 points.

Indiana continues to struggle with squad issues: Obi Toppin was once again absent against the Nets, whilst Tyrese Haliburton is out for several more days following his long-term injury. Ivica Zubac was also unable to play due to a sprained left ankle.

Lendeborg draws level with two Hall of Famers

In the Golden State Warriors’ fourth consecutive victory against the Los Angeles Clippers, one rookie in particular put in a strong performance: Yaxel Lendeborg scored a career-high 37 points and provided six assists, whilst stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were both rested. For rookie Lendeborg, it was his fourth game with 20 or more points. It was he, in particular, who extended the Warriors’ lead to 15 points with five consecutive points in the third quarter.

The Warriors had led by six points at half-time. Shooting 13 out of 19 from the field and 6 out of 11 from the three-point line, Lendeborg scored the most points by a Warriors rookie since Curry’s 42 points in April 2010 against the Portland Trail Blazers. With two 30-point games in his first seven NBA matches, Lendeborg is also the only Warrior, apart from Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry, to have achieved this feat.

The youngster received particular support from De’Anthony Melton (21 PTS, 6 REB), Brandon Williams (17 PTS, 7/11 FG) and Brandin Podziemski (17 PTS, 8 REB, 8 ASS). For the Clippers, who lost for the fifth time in a row, Rui Hachimura was the standout player with 24 points and eight rebounds.