Lendeborg Welcomes Another Shot at Doncic

On October 29, attention was building around the Golden State Warriors’ October 30 rematch with the Los Angeles Lakers, after rookie Yaxel Lendeborg said he was looking forward to seeing Luka Doncic again. The game, at Chase Center, is also the teams’ first NBA Cup group-stage matchup and is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. ET.

Lendeborg and Doncic traded words during their October 21 season opener. Lendeborg received a technical foul, and afterward said he had lost respect for the Lakers star over what he viewed as complaining. The Lakers won 127-105. Doncic finished with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists; Lendeborg scored 12.

Lendeborg has continued discussing the exchange and said on October 28 that he was eager for the rematch, adding, “I’ll talk about that on Friday.” He is averaging 22.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and four assists across his first five NBA games. Doncic leads the league with 36 points per game.

Doncic missed the Lakers’ October 28 win over the Clippers because of back tightness, leaving his availability for the Warriors game uncertain. Warriors coach Steve Kerr praised Lendeborg’s confidence but said he would need to avoid being drawn into the trash talk. Stephen Curry likewise said Lendeborg would have to show up in the rematch.