Yaxel Lendeborg Leads Warriors to NBA Summer League Championship Over Grizzlies

Golden State Warriors guard Yaxel Lendeborg delivered a championship-clinching performance with 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Warriors to a 94-90 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2026 NBA Summer League finals held in Las Vegas. The 11th overall draft pick orchestrated a decisive fourth-quarter rally that powered the Warriors' comeback from a 10-point deficit entering the final period. The victory marks the franchise's second Summer League championship title.

Championship Clinching Performance

Lendeborg took control in the decisive moments, scoring seven straight points late in the fourth quarter, including a crucial pull-up three-pointer from the wing that gave Golden State an 89-87 lead. The 23-year-old, who won an NCAA championship with Michigan before joining the NBA, finished with a complete stat line: 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals across 23 minutes of play. His all-around contribution underscored why the Warriors selected him in the first round with high expectations for his rookie-season impact.

Lendeborg's Summer League trajectory demonstrated steady improvement. Across six games, he averaged 13.6 points and 6.2 rebounds before the championship game. The championship game represented his highest-scoring effort and marked the clearest evidence that the Warriors' investment in his selection could yield immediate dividends at the professional level.

High-Profile Rookie Matchup

The championship game featured a direct confrontation between two of the 2026 draft's top prospects. Cameron Boozer, selected third overall by Memphis out of Duke, matched Lendeborg with 19 points while also pulling down 8 rebounds and distributing 4 assists. Despite his strong individual performance, Boozer's Grizzlies fell short in the final moments. He missed an open three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining that could have altered the outcome, and also came up short against Lendeborg's defense on a late scoring attempt.

The Grizzlies received additional scoring support from Cedric Coward, who contributed 19 points while shooting a perfect 5-of-5 from three-point range. Golden State's LJ Cryer added 15 points and 6 assists off the bench, while Will Richard contributed 13 points. Despite the championship loss, Boozer's five-game Summer League average of 18.4 points on 46.3 percent field goal shooting provided Memphis with encouraging early indicators about the third overall pick's professional readiness.