Yaxel Lendeborg had another memorable night on Monday, putting up 23 points, including a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc, as the Golden State Warriors secured their eighth consecutive victory with a 138-87 win against the New Orleans Pelicans. It was their biggest home victory since 1991. However, amid the celebrations, the Warriors rookie learned a little lesson of his own.

Trying to imitate Stephen Curry’s celebrations after making a three-pointer came back to haunt him almost immediately. And the 24-year-old, just like in previous instances, had no problem admitting his mistake.

“I told Steph that I was gonna try to do his little thing. When we scored, like I start dancing or celebrating,” Lendeborg explained to the media (via NBC Sports Bay Area & California). “I tried that out today. I made a three, and I don’t know if you guys saw the play. But Saddiq Bey just went and drove me right to the basket and laid it up on me. I’m having a lot of fun, but I’m also still like at a point where when is it gonna be too much fun?

“Like, when do I gotta stop and actually play defense or try something out? Trial and error. I learned today, celebrated, got scored on, looked kind of foolish in a way. But I mean it’s been very fun, very fun to learn. Just see everything that’s happening firsthand and just continue to grow my confidence. It’s been awesome.”

The sequence unfolded late in the second quarter, with the home team already comfortably ahead. Yaxel Lendeborg knocked down a 26-foot step-back three to push the lead to 66-31. He then decided to celebrate like Curry. However, he didn’t get much time to enjoy the moment. On the next possession, Saddiq Bey drove straight past him and finished an easy layup.

Just 10 seconds separated the three-pointer from the Pelicans’ response. The Warriors rookie’s celebration had come at the expense of his defensive assignment.

It was hardly a costly mistake given the score. Curry finished with 25 points, five rebounds and four three-pointers, extending his run of consecutive 25-point performances to six games. Brandin Podziemski also scored 25, giving the hosts three players with at least 23 points. Yaxel Lendeborg shot 8-10, had seven rebounds and four assists.

The victory extended their winning streak to eight games, the franchise’s longest since the 2021-22 championship season. Amid this, the 24-year-old forward understood the message.

The rookie has already discovered that his competitive personality can sometimes get the better of him away from the court, too. His earlier exchange involving Luka Doncic became a talking point after he openly criticized the Lakers star. Yaxel Lendeborg stated that he had lost all respect for the Slovenian, as he was whining and complaining throughout the encounter. However, he later acknowledged that his comments had gone further than intended. However, Yaxel stood by the competitive nature of their exchange.

“It’s fun trash-talk. I feel like I did kind of take it overboard in the media, but it is what it is,” he said.

His 37-point performance against the Los Angeles Clippers brought another lesson, this time involving his approach to scoring. The rookie had already delivered a career night, shooting 13-of-19 from the field and making six three-pointers. But reaching 40 points suddenly became a tempting target.

With teammates encouraging him to keep shooting and reach the 40-point milestone, he attempted three additional three-pointers. None went in. The home team also allowed the Clippers to put together a 13-0 run, making what had been a comfortable game considerably tighter. Yaxel Lendeborg later admitted that he had given in to the peer pressure to reach the milestone.

So far, the three incidents have offered different lessons. Against Doncic, he reconsidered how he handled trash talk in public. Against the Clippers, he learned that personal milestones should never take priority over the team’s position. And against New Orleans, he discovered that celebrating like Curry doesn’t excuse him from playing defense.