Yaxel Lendeborg needed only 16 minutes to put up 16 points Monday night, and by then the Warriors had the game in hand.
The rookie forward finished with 23 points in 27 minutes, adding seven rebounds and four assists, as Golden State beat the New Orleans Pelicans 138-87 at Chase Center. He made 8 of his 10 shots and all four of his 3-point attempts. The Warriors said it was the first time in a regular-season game that he has gone perfect from deep.
Lendeborg had seven points in a first quarter that ended with Golden State up 35-20. The Warriors then used a 31-11 run to build a 35-point lead late in the second quarter, and they led 72-43 at the break. He was plus-34 for the night.
Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski each scored 25, making it only the second game this season in which three Warriors reached 20. Curry's night also moved him past DeMar DeRozan into 16th place on the NBA's career scoring list.
The 51-point margin was the largest in Chase Center history, according to the Warriors, topping a 41-point win over the same opponent on Nov. 5, 2021. New Orleans played without Zion Williamson, who was rested, and Trey Murphy III, who sat to manage his knees.
A streak built on passing
Golden State finished with a season-high 37 assists, its third straight game with 30 or more and its fifth in the last six. The Warriors are 6-0 this season when they reach that mark.
Jimmy Butler, sidelined while he recovers from a torn ACL, spent the night on the bench dressed like one of Steve Kerr's assistants, holding a clipboard with a reminder to get the ball to Curry.