Playing on the back end of a back-to-back, the Warriors bounced back with a 123-103 home win over the Suns on Monday.
The Warriors got back on the winning track with a 123-103 home victory over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. Golden State took command of the game midway through the first quarter on their way to a 70-point first half and didn’t trail at any point in the remainder of the contest. Stephen Curry missed his first five three-pointers in the game, but ended 6-of-13 from beyond the arc to finish with a game-high 29 points. Kevin Durant added 22 points, Damian Jones converted all five field goals he attempted, and both Jonas Jerebko and Alfonzo McKinnie scored in double figures off the bench. With the victory, Golden State improves to 3-1 on the season.
TEAM LEADERS
One night after suffering a frustrating loss in which it seemed they couldn’t buy a basket for several minute stretches at a time, the Warriors suffered no such issues on Monday, as they jumped out to an early lead over the Suns and never looked back. Damian Jones opened the scoring with an alley-oop, in what would prove to be a sign of things to come, as five of Golden State’s first six baskets came by way of the dunk. Devin Booker gave the Suns an early 7-4 advantage with a three-pointer at the 9:28 mark of the opening quarter, but that would prove to be Phoenix’s sole lead of the contest. Curry and Durant responded immediately with sequential scores, and the Dubs remained in front for the duration of the game.
Golden State made only two of their 11 three-point attempts in the opening quarter, but managed to build a nine-point lead at the end of one thanks to a 15-2 advantage in fast break points. They had a better go of it from long distance as the game wore on, as Curry soon found his stroke, and his teammates followed suit. Curry, who went 0-of-5 from beyond the arc in the first quarter, was a perfect two-for-two in the second, and he continued to get hot from there. Quinn Cook made only a single three in the entire game, but certainly made it count. With the second quarter winding down, Klay Thompson found Cook on the wing in the final seconds, who promptly deposited his shot in the basket for a three-point buzzer-beater, giving the Warriors a 70-47 advantage going into halftime.
Golden State kept their foot on the gas pedal in the third quarter, preventing Phoenix from generating any realistic hope for a comeback. The Suns cut the deficit to 19 early in the second half, but the Warriors promptly responded with a burst, culminating with an 8-0 run that would give them their largest lead of the entire game at 88-58 with 5:33 remaining in the third quarter. Curry would make four of his six three-point attempts in the frame, including a splash with 28.5 seconds left to give him 29 points on the night and his team a commanding 106-81 lead heading into the fourth and final quarter.
With the victory well in hand, Steve Kerr emptied the bench and deployed the reserves to finish off the eventual win. It provided an opportunity for a career highlight, as Jacob Evans not only made his NBA debut, but also scored his first career points. Additionally, both Damian Jones and Alfonzo McKinnie established career-highs with 13 and 10 points in the victory, respectively.
With the win, Golden State improves to 3-1 on the season. They’ll attempt to add another home victory to their total when they play host to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.