Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg scored 26 points and grabbed 9 rebounds on Wednesday as his team held off the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-114 at Target Center. The forward shot 11-of-20 in 35 minutes, while Stephen Curry led the way with 44 points to help the Warriors to a second straight win.

However, it was what Lendeborg said about the team’s upcoming clash against the Los Angeles Lakers that got fans talking.

Warriors Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg Keeps the Luka Dončić Feud Simmering

Lendeborg has produced plenty since his debut for the Warriors, averaging 22.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists through five games. This includes a career-high 31 points to go with 12 rebounds in a 134-114 win against the Denver Nuggets.

The 11th overall pick was asked about Friday’s rematch with Luka Dončić and the Lakers, the star he clashed with on opening night, and his brief reply was bound to draw attention.

Lendeborg smiled when asked whether he was looking forward to meeting Dončić and the Lakers: “Absolutely. Absolutely. Yes, I am. I’ll talk about that on Friday.”

Lendeborg’s quip reopened a back-and-forth that has followed him through his first week in the NBA.

The feud dates back to the Lakers’ 127-105 win over the Warriors in Lendeborg’s league debut. The two jawed throughout, and Lendeborg picked up a technical foul late in the second quarter.

Dončić answered moments later, banking in a shot from beyond half court at the halftime buzzer and pointing straight at the rookie. Lendeborg was whistled for four fouls, three of which sent Dončić to the free-throw line.

He was blunt about it afterward: “Being in there firsthand, just watching all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect, man.”

Wednesday’s comments from Lendeborg did little to win over the skeptics, and the reactions popped up fairly quickly.

“This is so forced,” one observer remarked.

One fan aimed a plea directly at the Lakers star: “Please humble this kid…”

The rivalry itself drew a question from another hoops fan: “Why’s he forcing this whatever one-sided rivalry with Luka?”

Lendeborg did have at least one supporter in his corner, who wrote, “He’s ready to cook Luka (Dončić).”

Another fan looked ahead to Friday and posted, “In all their games since, not one fan or broadcast has documented what any player shot while he guarded them. Watch that change when Luka comes to town. Gimmick.”

In the opener,Dončić shot 0-of-4 from the field in the first half with Lendeborg as his primary defender in the halfcourt. Only two of his 23 first-half points came against the rookie.

The final numbers still favored the Lakers star, as Dončić finished with a game-high 28 points on 7-of-18 shooting, made all nine of his free throws, and was a plus-31. Lendeborg, meanwhile, had 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting and 3 rebounds, finishing minus-21 in 29 minutes.

While Lendeborg has shown his potential, Dončić has continued piling up points all season, averaging 36.0 points, 8.3 assists, and 6.8 rebounds across four appearances. That includes 52 points in a win vs. the Utah Jazz.

The Lakers (4-1) visit the Warriors (2-3) at Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday in what could be another chapter of this chippy back-and-forth, should Dončić (back tightness) be available for the matchup.