Nigeria’s Charles Bassey impressed on his first season start for the Golden State Warriors, recording a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in their 124-112 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at the Chase Center.
The Warriors have been without several key players, including Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Walker Kessler, creating an opportunity for head coach Steve Kerr to hand the Nigerian centre his first start.
Bassey made the most of the opportunity, finishing with 10 points, a game-high 10 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in 20 minutes of action.
However, the standout performer for Golden State was rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who exploded for 37 points to become the highest-scoring rookie in franchise history since Stephen Curry recorded 42 points in the final game of his rookie season.
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De’Anthony Melton contributed 21 points, while Brandin Podziemski and Brandon Williams added 17 points apiece as the Warriors cruised to their fourth win of the season.
For the Clippers, Rui Hachimura led the scoring with 24 points. Kobe Sanders contributed 16 points off the bench, while Darius Garland added 15. Kris Dunn and Nick Martinelli chipped in with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Bassey will be hoping to build on his impressive performance when the Warriors face the Phoenix Suns in their next outing. However, the Nigerian is unlikely to retain his starting spot, with Draymond Green expected to return after missing the clash against the Clippers.
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