Lendeborg leads Warriors to second summer league championship
Yaxel Lendeborg scored 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 94-90 to win the NBA summer league title, becoming the second player to capture both a Division I NCAA championship and a Vegas summer league title in the same year.
Yaxel Lendeborg recorded 21 points and 10 rebounds on Sunday, guiding the Golden State Warriors to a 94-90 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA summer league championship at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The win gave Golden State its second summer league title, joining the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers as the only teams with multiple championships since the event began in 2013.
Lendeborg, the 11th overall pick in last month’s draft and a member of the University of Michigan’s NCAA title team, became the second player after Davion Mitchell to win a Division I NCAA championship and a Vegas summer league title in the same calendar year. > "Coming into this program, I just wanted to prove that I'm a winner," he said. > "Doing stuff like this -- not caring about the stats and just caring about the outcome. I'm going to continue to push that into next season with the bigger Warriors."
Memphis forward Cameron Boozer, the No. 3 pick out of Duke, led the Grizzlies with 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists, but missed a potential game-winning three-pointer in the final minute. > "I’ve got to find a way to assert myself more," Boozer said after the loss.
Warriors guard Deivon Smith added 21 points off the bench, and five Golden State players finished in double figures. Coach Khalid Robinson highlighted Lendeborg’s versatility, noting his size, skill set and competitive drive as key factors in the comeback win. > "He fits because of his skill set, his physical profile, his size for his position and his competitive spirit," Robinson said.
The championship game was tied at halftime, and the Warriors rallied in the fourth quarter after Lendeborg scored three quick baskets to overturn a double-digit deficit. Memphis had several chances in the final minute, but an errant inbounds pass by Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Boozer’s missed three-pointer sealed the loss.
The victory also marked a personal redemption for Lendeborg, whose Michigan Wolverines had previously lost to Boozer’s Duke Blue Devils earlier in the season.