DENVER (AP) — Yaxel Lendeborg had 31 points and 12 rebounds as the Golden State Warriors beat the Denver Nuggets 134-114 on Monday night for their first win of the season.
The big night from the rookie out of Michigan helped the Warriors avoid their first 0-4 start since 2007-08. The team shot 54.1% from the field, including 22 of 44 from 3-point range, and outrebounded Denver by a 50-36 margin.
Stephen Curry scored 21 of his 24 points in the second half. He finished 8 of 8 from the floor to help the Warriors steadily pull away from the Nuggets.
Nikola Jokic had 19 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists before being subbed out with 3:33 remaining and the Nuggets trailing by 21. Denver allowed 74 points after halftime.
Jokic admonished Nuggets fans for booing Saturday night in the home opener after the Nuggets fell behind 23 points before storming back for a 141-135 OT win against New Orleans.
This time, some fans just filed out early in a game that started late.
The frustration spilled over for Aaron Gordon in the fourth quarter when he was assessed a double-technical and exited the court. Gordon had seven points.
Lendeborg was 9 of 19 from the field — 1 of 8 from beyond the 3-point line — and 12 of 13 from the free throw line. He entered the game averaging 18.7 points and 8.3 rebounds.
The Warriors had Curry, Draymond Green and Brandin Podziemski back after they sat out the game in Phoenix. Podziemski finished with 18 points and was a plus-33.
DeMar DeRozan added 21 points for Denver.
Denver was without Alpha Diallo (wrist), Cameron Johnson (ankle), Spencer Jones (hamstring) and Julian Strawther (knee).
Warriors: At Minnesota on Wednesday night.
Nuggets: At New Orleans on Wednesday night.
See AP’s full NBA coverage here
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, right, goes up to shoot as Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić (15) goes up for a basket between Golden State Warriors guard De'anthony Melton (8) and forward Draymond Green, right, in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, looks to pass the ball while under pressure from Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun, right, in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
BEIJING (AP) — French soccer star Kylian Mbappé's face appears in ads across China, from subway stations to elevators, but now at least three companies are cutting ties with the national team captain after he made some comments apparently referring to Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China, as a dictator.
Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground announced Tuesday in similarly worded statements that they were ending agreements with the soccer star, each saying they oppose “any words and actions that hurt national sentiment.”
The companies did not specify what prompted their decisions, but they released their statements after a clip that appeared to show Mbappé being interviewed ahead of going on the French online talk show “The Bridge” circulated on X.
In the video, Mbappé is asked about his favorite meme of himself, and the soccer star replies that it was “a video someone made of a guy ... I think he was a Chinese dictator” before the video shows an altered image depicting Mbappé's face on the blue-suited body of Mao Zedong.
Soccer fans online jokingly call the star — who's said to overshadow many of his teammates and even the teams he plays on — a dictator, and memes showing him as Mao or other autocratic leaders are widely circulated.
The Associated Press was immediately unable to reach Mbappé's representatives for comment.
Social media platform RedNote joined the criticism, saying in a separate statement that the company had a content partnership with Mbappé that ended on Dec. 31, 2024, and that it would “remove related promotional materials.” It likewise expressed opposition to “any conduct that hurts national sentiment.”
Mbappé has featured in advertising campaigns in China for products from electrolyte drinks to milk and cheese. In one commercial for Dongpeng, Mbappé delivers a slogan in Chinese; in an ad for Mengniu, he appears alongside Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi.
On Chinese social media, there were already several comments criticizing the soccer star.
The hashtags “Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappé” and “Several brands end partnerships with Mbappé” topped Weibo’s trending list. “Football fans boycott Mbappé” was also trending, with some users expressing anger at his remarks or telling him not to come to China.
Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang contributed to this report from Beijing.
France's soccer player Kylian Mbappé attends the Ballon d'Or ceremony at the London Palladium Theatre in London, England, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026 . (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
