Surprise Upset! Curry 22 for 9, Durant 31 points + 6 turnovers, both unexpectedly injured and withdrawn, Warriors successfully avenge
By Lao Kankanqiu | Edited by Lao Kankanqiu
On December 29th, Beijing time, the NBA 2024-25 season regular season welcomes a focus match in the Western Conference, with the Golden State Warriors hosting the Phoenix Suns back-to-back. This is the second encounter between the two teams this season. In the previous match, the Suns defeated the Warriors by 8 points, slightly taking the upper hand. Interestingly, the Warriors have faced Pacific Division teams with a record of 0 wins and 5 losses, without a single victory, including 0-3 against the Clippers, 0-1 against the Lakers, and 0-1 against the Suns, which is indeed somewhat restrained.
More difficult is that after the Warriors topped the Western Conference, they only managed to win 3 out of the next 15 games, ranking at the bottom of the league during the same period. They currently hold a total record of 15 wins and 15 losses, ranking 11th in the West, indicating that there must be major issues within the team. Combined with Curry's previous statement to the media that if playing basketball no longer brings him joy, it would be time to retire, it is clear that the Warriors' locker room is not as calm as it appears on the outside. Similarly, the Suns have also been struggling recently, much like the Warriors' trajectory. They once topped the Western Conference standings but then Durant suffered an injury, and the team's performance plummeted. They are now also ranked tenth in the West with a record of 15 wins and 15 losses, making them the true "Wolong Fengchu" of the Western Conference this season.
Before the game, American media ESPN also provided the latest win rate prediction for today's game, with the Suns having a win rate of only 47.0% and the Warriors having a win rate of as high as 53.0%. Among the short, ESPN obviously favors the Warriors to complete their revenge in this game. In terms of starting lineups, the Suns will be without Booker, and Grayson Allen is unlikely to play. Nurkic has been suspended for three games, so their starting five are: Durant, Beal, Plumlee, Jones, and Dunn. The Warriors will be without Little Payton, but Curry and Draymond Green are returning, with their starting lineup being: Curry, Schroder, Green, Wiggins, and Jackson-Davis.
In the first quarter, Beal and Plumlee set a pick-and-roll, followed by a mid-range jumper, going 3 for 3 and scoring 7 points in a row, as the Suns made a perfect start with an 8-3 lead. After Curry set a pick-and-roll and drew the defense, Draymond Green cut in for a two-handed dunk. Durant blocked Schroder's shot and then Beal hit another three-pointer, already scoring 10 points. Curry received the ball from the outside and hit a strong three-pointer over Plumlee, giving the Warriors a one-point lead. Wiggins held the ball on the weak side, did not pass to Hield who was open under the basket, but instead passed to Curry behind him, who hit another three-pointer, extending the lead to seven points. TJD chased down and blocked Durant, who then responded with a block and interception on the next play, followed by consecutive jump shots, including a self-made and grabbed 2+1. At the end of the first quarter, the Suns trailed the Warriors by 7 points with a score of 27-34.
In the first quarter, Durant went 4 for 9, hitting 0 three-pointers, and scored 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
In the second quarter, Okojie cut to the basket and attempted a dunk, only to be rejected by TJD's sky-high block. Curry made a turnover while counterattacking, having already made three consecutive turnovers at the start of the second quarter. He then hit another three-pointer, already scoring 11 points. Beal used a pick-and-roll to force a three-pointer, scoring seven points in a row and totaling 20 points, as the Suns took an eight-point lead and forced a timeout from the Warriors. Draymond Green hit multiple wide-open threes in succession, going 5 for 5 in the second quarter and scoring 15 points, as the Warriors reduced the gap to two points with a run. After O'Neal blocked Schroder, he suffered an unexpected injury with a 90-degree sprained ankle, looking extremely painful, and has since returned to the locker room. Durant hit a buzzer-beating mid-range shot, while Curry made a miraculous long-range shot with six seconds left from the backcourt to the frontcourt, ending the half with the Warriors still trailing the Suns by four points with a score of 61-65.
At halftime, the Warriors had Curry shooting 6 for 9, hitting 3 three-pointers, scoring 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists; Draymond Green shooting 6 for 7, including 3 for 4 from three-point range, scoring 16 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists, which is quite unfamiliar. On the Suns' side, Beal played 18 minutes, shooting 9 for 14, scoring 22 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists; Durant shot 6 for 13, scoring 18 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 blocks.
It is worth noting that Draymond Green has now made 700 three-pointers in his career, moving up to third place in Warriors' history, creating a new milestone record.
Changing sides for the second half, Wiggins grabbed a rebound and attempted to start a counterattack, only to lose the ball and commit a turnover directly out of bounds. TJD made a fast-break alley-oop dunk and then completed a 2+1 after receiving a pass from Curry, as the Warriors completed a run to take the lead. Curry took a step back and hit a strong three-pointer over the defense, while in the next play, Durant hit a three-pointer from the corner over Green's defense, immediately responding. Kuminga posted up against Beal, using strong contact to knock Beal down before easily scoring a layup. Durant blocked Hield's three-pointer and then countered with a 2+1 against Hield again. At the end of the third quarter, the Suns led the Warriors by five points with a score of 87-82.
In the fourth quarter, Weis attempted a counterattack dunk, only to be met with a big block from Dunn, as the Suns extended their lead to eight points. Kuminga continued to score with consecutive fast-break dunks, while Curry made a steady mid-range shot, as the Suns failed to score for three minutes and were overtaken by the Warriors. Durant's signature mid-range shot caused a foul on Kuminga, while Schroder hit a crucial three-pointer. Ultimately, the Warriors pulled off a surprise upset, reversing the Suns with a score of 109-105, ending their losing streak and completing their revenge.
For the entire game, the Warriors had Curry shooting 9 for 22, scoring 22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 5 turnovers; Draymond Green scored 16 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals; Kuminga scored an empty 34 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists; Schroder shot 4 for 13, scoring 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists; Wiggins shot 3 for 12, scoring 7 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks; Pojemsiki was injured and retired, scoring 0 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 fouls. On the Suns' side, Durant shot 10 for 24, scoring 31 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks, and 6 turnovers; Beal scored 28 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks; O'Neal was injured and retired, shooting 0 for 3 without scoring.