The Phoenix Suns welcomed the Warriors to the Footprint Center for an NBA matchup many had been anticipating.
Deandre Ayton scored 24 points while Chris Paul added 15 points and 11 assists. The Suns tied a franchise record of 17 straight wins by defeating the Warriors 104-96. The Suns won despite losing star player Devin Booker to a hamstring injury in the second quarter. The 25-year-old appeared to have injured his hamstring when driving to the basket. Even without Booker, the Suns led 56-54 at halftime.
Close game throughout
The game remained close throughout and neither team led by double digits until Landry Shamet knocked down a 3-pointer with 54 seconds left. The Suns and Warriors have the league’s best records at this point while this was also the first time in league history that two teams from the same division played each other with winning percentages of .850 or higher after at least 20 games.
The game had the feel of a playoff game. High level defending and neither team able to pull away. It lived up to the hype, especially in those first three quarters. Jordan Poole led Golden State with 28 points. Stephen Curry had a disappointing night. He scored only 12 points on 4 of 21 shooting, including 3 of 14 from three-point range. Suns limited the Warriors to just 42 points in the second half. Both teams are now tied as conference leaders with identical 18–3 records.
Warriors rough night
The Warriors went cold from three-point range in the final quarter. Steph Curry struggled badly from the field and was unable to assert any of his usual dominance. These two teams have an opportunity to renew acquaintances on Friday night in San Francisco.
As for the Suns, they came into this game with the third-ranked defense in the NBA. That grittiness on the defensive end was crucial as they held the second-best offense to just 94 points. The Suns’ defenders forced the Warriors into 23 turnovers. Typically, that many turnovers in a game is a recipe for disaster. The Suns look like the team to beat at this stage. They will attempt to go for the franchise record 18th straight win against the Pistons on Thursday.
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