The Phoenix Suns faced off against the Golden State Warriors in a back-to-back road game. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green returned to action for the Warriors, while the Suns were without Devin Booker due to suspension and Jusuf Nurkic was also out. The Suns' starting lineup featured Jones, Beal, Dunn, Kevin Durant, and Plumlee; the Warriors countered with Curry, Schroder, Wiggins, Green, and TJD.
In the first quarter, Beal started strong with four consecutive shots made, scoring 10 points on his own. However, the Warriors had multiple players contributing, including Curry who hit a three-pointer early on. The score remained close, with the Warriors leading 15-13 at the first timeout. After the break, the Suns' offense struggled, allowing Curry to hit another three-pointer and take the lead. The Warriors then brought in Kuminga, who scored seven straight points, prompting a Suns timeout with the score at 25-18. Upon resuming play, Durant began to exert himself on both ends of the court, though the Suns unsuccessfully challenged a goaltending call. Durant continued to score through mid-range jumpers and a 2+1 play to keep the Suns in the game. The Warriors, with contributions from Kuminga and Davis, ended the quarter leading 34-27.
During the second quarter, both teams rotated their lineups, with Curry and Beal leading their respective teams. Okogie had a steal and dunk, followed by Beal hitting a three-pointer, reducing the Suns' deficit to two points. After Green returned, the Warriors continued to commit turnovers, leading to Okogie drawing fouls and free throws, causing Coach Kerr to call a timeout. Returning to the game, Green assisted Wiggins for a layup to stop the bleeding, and Curry hit a three-pointer. Beal dove to save the ball, and the teams engaged in a tough back-and-forth battle. The Warriors kept turning the ball over, but Beal scored seven points in a row and assisted a teammate's layup, giving the Suns a five-point lead, forcing another Warriors timeout. Durant returned and extended the lead to double digits, but Green responded with a 2+1 and a three-pointer to stem the tide. Both teams traded blows, with the Warriors narrowing the gap. O'Neal suffered an ankle injury and returned to the locker room. Curry finished the half with a buzzer-beating floater, leaving the Suns ahead 65-61 at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Suns struggled with their outside shooting, while the Warriors committed more turnovers, gifting possession back to the Suns. Durant also made a turnover, but Green stole the ball and assisted Davis for an alley-oop dunk to tie the game. Davis then completed a 2+1 play to give the Warriors the lead, which Beal matched with a mid-range jumper. However, Curry hit another three-pointer, to which Durant responded with one of his own, followed by Jones on a fast break to reclaim the lead and force a Warriors timeout. Upon resuming play, it was the Suns' turn to commit turnovers, allowing the Warriors to retake the lead. Both teams engaged in another tough battle, with both sides missing shots, prompting the Suns to call a timeout. Returning to the game, Durant found his rhythm and scored seven points in a row, ending the quarter with the Suns leading 87-82.
In the final quarter, Beal returned to lead the Suns, scoring points consistently, while the Warriors relied on Kuminga to keep them in the game. Dunn was also active, drawing fouls and making free throws to extend the lead to seven points, prompting another Warriors timeout. Returning to the game, the Warriors double-teamed Beal and Durant, with Okogie hitting a corner three-pointer to extend the lead to nine points. Kuminga scored twice to reduce the deficit to five, prompting a Suns timeout. However, after the timeout, the Suns' offense stalled, allowing the Warriors to go on a 6-0 run and take a one-point lead. The Suns managed to regain the lead with consecutive free throws, but Schroder hit a three-pointer. Curry rushed a shot without using the clock, resulting in a rebound that led to a foul on Durant, sending him to the line. Kuminga also drew a foul and made both free throws, while Green successfully defended Durant. Schroder made both of his free throws, and Beal missed a quick two-pointer, effectively sealing the Suns' fate.
Ultimately, the Suns lost to the Warriors 105-109 on the road. Let's take a look at the specific performances of the players!
Compared to the previous day, Beal shook off his gloom and achieved a decisive victory over Curry in their matchup. He started the first quarter with a flurry of activity, going 4 for 4 and scoring 10 points. In the second quarter, he exploded for 12 points to lead his team to a comeback. In the first half, Beal went 9 for 14, including 4 for 6 from beyond the arc, tallying 22 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.
In the third quarter, Beal scored only 2 points before being rested early. In the initial stages of the fourth quarter, he returned to lead the team, with positive results. However, in the crucial final moments, he missed a quick two-pointer, directly dooming the Suns.
For the entire game, Beal played 40 minutes, shooting 12 for 24, including 4 for 11 from three-point range, finishing with 28 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.
Durant dominated on both ends of the court today. In the first quarter, he initially struggled with his shooting but contributed three big blocks on defense. Towards the end of the quarter, he scored 7 points through two mid-range jumpers and a 2+1 play. In the second quarter, he added another 8 points. In the first half, Durant shot 6 for 13, including 0 for 1 from three-point range, and 6 for 7 from the free-throw line, accumulating 18 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 blocks.
In the third quarter, Durant's shooting cooled down, and he also made consecutive turnovers. However, after a Suns timeout gave him a rest, he regained his touch, scoring 7 points on his own, adding another 10 points in the quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Durant's stamina was significantly affected by playing back-to-back games, and he could only score through free throws. For the whole game, he played 37 minutes, shooting 10 for 24, including 1 for 5 from three-point range, and 10 for 12 from the free-throw line, putting up an empty 31 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks.
In the second quarter, when the Warriors trailed by 10 points, Green stepped up, scoring 14 points in the quarter with a 2+1 play and three consecutive three-pointers.
In the first half, Green shot 3 for 4 from three-point range and 1 for 1 from the free-throw line, contributing 6 points along with 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal, with a +1 plus-minus rating.
For the entire game, Green played 35 minutes, shooting 6 for 9, including 3 for 5 from three-point range, and 1 for 1 from the free-throw line, contributing 16 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals.
With today's three three-pointers, Green's career total now stands at 702, surpassing Jason Richardson to rank third in franchise history.
Curry had a solid first half, but his performance dipped in the second half. He shot well in the first half but turned the ball over frequently in the second quarter. Just before halftime, he made an impressive buzzer-beating shot to keep the team in the game, going 6 for 9 (3 for 6 from three-point range), scoring 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists, but committing 4 turnovers.
In the third quarter, Curry scored only 3 points, and in the fourth quarter, he struggled with his shooting, failing to convert on key offensive plays. Fortunately, his teammates came to his rescue, preventing a meeting in the locker room.
In this game, Curry played 35 minutes, shooting 9 for 22, including 4 for 13 from three-point range, scoring 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Kuminga, who had just set a new career-high with 34 points the previous day, continued to provide strong support off the bench today. In the first half, he shot 6 for 9, including 1 for 3 from three-point range, and 1 for 2 from the free-throw line, scoring 14 points with 2 rebounds and 1 assist.
In the second half, Kuminga maintained his scoring pace, especially in the fourth quarter when Curry was not on the court. Kuminga carried the Warriors' offense, keeping them in the game. In the closing moments, he drew a foul on Durant and made both free throws to regain the lead.
In this game, Kuminga played 34 minutes, shooting 12 for 20, including 2 for 5 from three-point range, and 8 for 12 from the free-throw line, scoring