Monday’s NBA slate gave us a historic stat line from Luka Doncic and a coming-out party for rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. Let’s take a closer look:
Luka Doncic Does Something No One Has Ever Done
Luka Doncic is doing things on a basketball court that nobody has done before. Literally.
The Lakers star dropped 45 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals, and 8 three-pointers in 35 minutes to lead Los Angeles past the Toronto Raptors, 131-125. He shot 12-of-23 from the field and a perfect 13-of-13 from the free-throw line. By doing so, he became the first player in NBA history with at least 45 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, and 5 threes in a single game.
The marks didn’t stop there. Doncic became the first player with 4 steals and 4 threes in an opening quarter, and the first point guard with 5 steals and 5 threes in a half. He has now scored at least 37 points in four straight games and has reached 40 or more points for the 20th time in 98 regular-season games with the Lakers. What’s more, Doncic became the third player in NBA history since 1960 to tally at least 225 points through his first six games of a season with 226. He joined Michael Jordan (1986) and Wilt Chamberlain (2x) in that elite company.
It all came on Luka bobblehead night and after a blowout loss to the Golden State Warriors. Austin Reaves added 19 points, and Walker Kessler had 16 points and 15 rebounds. The Lakers led by as many as 26 before holding off a late Toronto push. Scottie Barnes scored 29 for the Raptors, and RJ Barrett had 22 points and 10 rebounds.
Yaxel Lendeborg Announces Himself Emphatically
The Golden State Warriors were without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, who both rested. That didn’t matter for the Dubs thanks to the rookie, Yaxel Lendeborg.
Lendeborg, the 11th overall pick in 2026, erupted for a career-high 37 points on 13-of-19 shooting, including 6-of-11 from three, plus six assists in about 34 minutes, as the Warriors beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 124-112. It was the most points by a Warriors rookie since Curry’s 42 in 2010.
The history keeps piling up. With two 30-point games in his first seven appearances, Lendeborg joined Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry as the only Warriors to do that so early. He also reached 150 points in seven games, tying for the second-fastest by a Warriors rookie, behind only Chamberlain.
The Warriors’ reserves contributed 40 points in the team’s fourth straight win. Rui Hachimura led the Clippers with 24 points, but Los Angeles has now lost five in a row.
