The final moments of the game between the Warriors and the Suns were incredibly exciting.
With just 1 minute and 59 seconds left in the game, the score was tied at 101:101. This match was as important as a playoff game, with both teams entering the contest ranked 10th and 11th in the Western Conference. The Warriors, playing back-to-back games, had rested Curry and Green in their previous game to focus on this crucial positioning battle. A victory in this game was worth double for both sides.
The Suns had possession, with Jones quickly bringing the ball up the court. Schroder stood in front of him to defend. Jones reached the left 45-degree three-point line, where Durant provided a screen. Jones used the screen to break towards the basket, with Green coming over to help defend. Jones lobbed the ball high into the air, aiming for Plumlee under the basket to attempt a dunk. Kuminga tried to intercept the ball mid-air to prevent Plumlee from scoring, but the referee blew the whistle, indicating a foul on Kuminga.
Almost all the Warriors players simultaneously raised their fingers, hoping the coaching staff would challenge the call. Green, Curry, and Kuminga all requested that Kerr challenge the decision, and Kerr promptly requested a review. After careful replay examination, the referees upheld the original call, awarding Plumlee two free throws, which he made, restoring the Suns' two-point lead.
It was then the Warriors' turn to attack. Schroder slowly brought the ball up the court, with Kuminga receiving it before quickly passing to Green at the top of the arc to initiate the offense. Green noticed that Curry hadn't yet found an opportunity, so he passed to Wiggins at the left 45-degree three-point line while preparing to move towards the basket. Meanwhile, Curry suddenly accelerated from under the basket towards the top of the arc, during which Green provided an off-ball screen for him. Beal chased behind, not daring to slack off.
After Curry moved to the top of the arc, Wiggins immediately passed to him. Beal had returned to his defensive position and was closely guarding Curry, not allowing him to shoot a three-pointer but permitting him to drive left towards the basket. Curry observed the defense and smoothly drove left towards the basket, drawing Dunn's help defense. He then calmly passed to Wiggins, who was wide open at the left corner, but as Wiggins shot the three-pointer, Dunn somehow managed to return to his defensive position and block the shot, a testament to the young player's remarkable talent.
Fortunately, Wiggins quickly recovered the blocked ball and passed it to Schroder at the top of the arc. With time running out on the offensive possession, Schroder had no choice but to force a three-pointer. Jones, defending him, leapt to interfere but, being too short, could not affect Schroder's shot. The basketball arced perfectly through the air and swished through the net. This was Schroder's seventh three-point attempt of the game; the previous six had all missed. Lady Luck finally favored the Warriors.
Schroder's successful three-pointer filled him with excitement, his face beaming with joy. It was a rare three-point make since joining the Warriors, and it was hard to imagine him being so elated after making a three when he was with the Nets. Not only Schroder, but head coach Kerr also clenched his fists to celebrate the three-pointer. This shot instilled hope in the entire Warriors team for the future. After the three-pointer, the score became 104:103, with the Warriors overtaking the Suns by one point, and there was still 1 minute and 14 seconds left in the game.
The Suns attacked again, with Beal bringing the ball up the court. Durant positioned himself near the free-throw line, ready to receive the ball for a one-on-one play. Beal understood and passed to him, with Kuminga defending behind. Durant engaged in a post-up against Kuminga, dribbling left-handed towards the basket. After just two dribbles, Schroder came over to double-team, but the other Suns players failed to alert Durant, resulting in Schroder touching the ball and knocking it out of bounds off Durant. The Warriors gained another valuable possession, marking Durant's eighth turnover of the game.
After gaining possession, Curry personally brought the ball up the court. At this critical juncture, Curry decided to take control of the offense. Upon reaching the frontcourt, Schroder first set a screen, prompting the Suns to switch defenders. Then Green unexpectedly moved from under the basket to the top of the arc to provide an off-ball screen for Curry, and the Suns again opted to switch, forcing Plumlee to guard Curry.
This was the matchup Curry most desired. Facing Plumlee's defense, Curry dribbled left-handed towards the basket, with Plumlee closely following. Just as Curry broke past the three-point line, he took a step back to retreat outside the arc, leaving Plumlee completely fooled and nearly falling. Curry found himself with an open three-point opportunity, but as he prepared to shoot, Jones came over from the top of the arc to help defend. Sensing Jones' presence in his peripheral vision, Curry changed his mind mid-air, turning his shot into a pass. As he was already airborne, Green knew Curry couldn't shoot and quickly came over to assist, helping Curry out of trouble. Curry lofted the ball to him.
This is why Curry enjoys playing with Green so much. Green is like a worm in Curry's stomach, knowing exactly what Curry is thinking and reacting swiftly. After assisting, Green continued to pass the ball back to Curry, and they executed a pick-and-roll at the top of the arc. The Suns ignored Green, with Plumlee and Jones trapping and chasing Curry from both sides. Despite the double-team, Curry still chose to forcefully drive towards the basket. Plumlee was like a utility pole in front of him, easily left behind as Curry penetrated to the basket. Faced with Dunn's help defense, Curry attempted a floater off the backboard, but unfortunately, the ball, which almost went in, inexplicably spun out.
Green and Kuminga attempted consecutive putbacks but couldn't get the ball in. Fortunately, the rebound fell back into Curry's hands, giving the Warriors another 14 seconds of offensive opportunity. Curry received the ball at the left 45-degree three-point line, with three Suns players surrounding him, not allowing him to shoot. Calmly, Curry passed to Wiggins, who was completely unguarded at the right 45-degree three-point line. However, Wiggins, who had an icy touch in this game, lost confidence in shooting and passed the ball back to Curry.
Beal stood in front of Curry to defend, and even though Wiggins had an open opportunity, he didn't dare to shoot. Curry had to rely on his individual ability to resolve the situation. Honestly, Curry didn't have a significant advantage in this matchup; they were similar in size, and it wasn't easy for Curry to shake Beal's defense. But Curry is Curry, and he forcefully dribbled right towards the basket from the three-point line, with Beal sticking close. Just as he crossed the three-point line, Curry took a step back jump to the outside of the arc, creating space from Beal. He then decisively shot a three-pointer, which arced beautifully in the air but was slightly too strong, bouncing around the rim before falling out.
Under the basket, Green, in an attempt to grab the rebound, knocked Durant to the ground, and the referee promptly called a foul on the Warriors. Durant earned two free throw attempts, and at this moment, the score was 103:104, with the Warriors leading the Suns by one point and 29.9 seconds remaining. Durant's free throws could potentially be the game-winning shots for the Suns.
After missing the crucial three-pointer, Curry could only laugh helplessly. He had given it his all, but the three-pointer didn't go in, something that can't be willed. This scene resembled Curry's expression when he missed the final three-pointer in 2019, showing his obvious reluctance despite the game's importance, which, although not comparable to Game 6 of the 2019 Finals, was undoubtedly one of the most important regular-season games. Clearly, Curry was still unsatisfied.
However, the game was not over, and Durant indeed made both free throws, giving the Suns a one-point lead in the dying moments. But with 29.9 seconds left, the Warriors still had a chance to retake the lead.
After Durant's second free throw, the Warriors called a timeout to set up an important offensive tactic. Returning from the timeout, Green inbounded the ball from the sideline, with Curry moving from the opposite baseline towards the top of the arc. At the same time, Kuminga provided an off-ball screen for him. Durant clearly misjudged the situation, focusing too much on Curry. Unexpect