Suns defeat Warriors to secure playoff spot

Jalen Green scored 36 points, while Devin Booker added 20 as the Phoenix Suns contained Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors to secure a 111-96 victory in the NBA play-in tournament on Friday night, News.Az reports, citing AP.

With the win, Phoenix claimed the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and is set to face the defending NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in Game 1 on Sunday. The loss brought an end to Golden State’s season.

Green delivered an efficient performance, shooting 14 of 20 from the field, including 8 of 14 from beyond the arc. Jordan Goodwin contributed 19 points and nine rebounds, while also making a strong defensive impact with six steals.

Tensions rose late in the fourth quarter when Booker and Golden State’s Draymond Green exchanged words multiple times, resulting in both players receiving two technical fouls and being ejected from the game.

The 38-year-old Curry struggled to find rhythm, finishing with 17 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors in scoring with 23 points.

Phoenix led by five at the break and built a 69-53 advantage with 5:12 left in third after a fast-break layup by Royce O’Neale. It was 85-72 with 10:12 remaining.

There was reason to believe the lead wasn’t safe. Phoenix blew an 11-point, fourth-quarter lead in a loss to Portland on Tuesday night, while Golden State clawed back from a 13-point fourth-quarter hole to beat the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, which led to the winner-take-all matchup Friday.

The Warriors looked as if they might have another comeback brewing — Curry hit a 3-pointer that cut the margin to 85-78 with 9:30 left — but the Suns responded with the next seven points. The Suns avoided becoming the first team to lose both play-in tournament games on their home floor. The current format was established in 2021.

Golden State’s Kristaps Porzingis played through right ankle soreness, the result of an injury Wednesday against the Clippers. The 7-foot-3 center played just 15 minutes and finished with 11 points.

The Suns built an early 13-2 lead after the Warriors turned the ball over four times. Phoenix pushed the advantage to 33-15 through one quarter after Golden State shot just 30%, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range.

But the Warriors recovered, cutting it to 50-45 by halftime.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev