Yaxel Lendeborg’s 15 points, four rebounds and three assists propelled the Golden State Warriors to a 92-88 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Summer League semifinal on Saturday in Las Vegas. Seven of Lendeborg’s points came in the fourth quarter, including a pair of free throws with 14 seconds remaining that sealed the win. Graham Ike and LJ Cryer each contributed 16 points, with Ike pulling down 11 rebounds, while bench scorer Chance McMillian added 14 points.
Lendeborg’s late-quarter burst highlighted a poise rarely seen in a rookie’s first Summer League appearance. Scoring nearly half of his total in the final period, he demonstrated an ability to create his own shot and draw fouls when the game was on the line. For a No. 11 pick in the 2026 draft, that kind of composure is a promising indicator of how the wing could fit into Golden State’s spacing-oriented system, offering a potential secondary scoring option alongside the veteran core.
Ike’s double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds underscored his versatility as a forward who can stretch the floor and secure boards, while Cryer’s 16 points and four assists showed a guard capable of both scoring and facilitating. McMillian’s 14-point burst off the bench added depth, suggesting that the Warriors have multiple contributors who can step up when rotations tighten in the regular season.
The Lakers’ effort was led by Adou Thiero, who posted an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double along with three steals, and rookie Cameron Carr, who tallied 17 points. Arthur Kaluma added 12 points, and Chris Mañon contributed a well-rounded line of 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Jon Elmore matched Mañon’s scoring with 10 points of his own. Despite these contributions, the Lakers fell short, indicating that while their young core can produce offensively, they still need to tighten late-game execution to compete in tightly contested games.
With the semifinal win, Golden State advances to the championship game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. The matchup offers the Warriors a chance to cap a productive summer with a title while giving the coaching staff further data on how its newest players perform under pressure. For the Lakers, the tournament concludes, and the performances of Thiero, Carr and the supporting cast will feed into their offseason evaluation and draft strategy.
