Despite winning a pair of consecutive games five different times this season, the Golden State Warriors have failed to record a three-game winning streak all season. On Thursday, the Warriors had another opportunity to get to lucky win number three, but missed.
With Mikal Bridges leading the way with 20 points, six other members of the Suns scored in double-figures to snap Phoenix’s three-game skid with a 114-93 victory over Golden State.
Steph Curry led the Warriors with a game-high 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the field in 31 minutes. Only Andrew Wiggins and Eric Paschall recorded double figures in scoring for the Warriors against the Suns.
Despite Golden State’s inconsistent scoring, Steve Kerr’s group were able to make runs at Phoenix’s lead throughout the contest. Yet, a fierce fourth-quarter performance from Phoenix’s second unit closed out the Warriors on the road.
The Warriors will now head back to the Bay Area for a weekend battle against Jerami Grant and the Detroit Pistons on Saturday at Chase Center.
Fourth-quarter blues
Although the Suns led the game throughout, the Warriors kept things close, only trailing by six points heading into the final 12 minutes of regulation. However, the fourth quarter was a different story.
Abdel Nader sparked Phoenix’s fourth-quarter blitz, tallying 12 of his 16 points off the bench. Nader dropped in a pair of 3-pointers in the final 12 minutes. Frank Kaminsky was all over the court in the final quarter for Phoenix, recorded seven points, eight boards and four assists off the bench.
The pair drove Phoenix to a 29 point fourth quarter to close out the Warriors, 114-93.
Kelly Oubre Jr. vs. his former team
Prior to being traded to the Golden State Warriors, Kelly Oube Jr. spent the last season and a half with the Phoenix Suns. Thursday marked his first return to the desert since being traded in the 2020 offseason.
Oubre Jr. struggled to find his shot against his former team, recording only four points on an ugly 1-of-11 shooting from the field. The former Suns’ wing added four rebounds, a steal and an assist in 26 minutes.
James Wiseman vs. DeAndre Ayton
Outside of the battle between the two starting point guards, the potential matchup in the frontcourt was something to watch. For the first time in his career, James Wiseman lined up against Phoenix’s DeAndre Ayton. Yet the battle of highly drafted bigs was a quiet one led by Ayton. The 2018 No. 1 overall draft pick notched a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds in 23 minutes.
Coming off his career-high in scoring on Wednesday night, Wiseman registered five points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field with six rebounds, an assist and a steal in 19 minutes off the bench.