Steph Curry’s game-winner lifts Warriors to 113-112 victory over Suns
The Dubs have won four straight, and all of a sudden, the vibes are good in Golden State.
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Phoenix Suns 113-112 on Saturday night, securing their fourth consecutive victory. The Dubs have a long way to go if they want to secure a playoff spot, but back at .500 (25-25), the Warriors have at least returned to the play-in part of the standings. They are the 10th seed in the West.
Steph Curry, Jonathan Kuminga, and Draymond Green continued to lead the way for the Warriors. Curry led the Dubs with 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists while Kuminga was second on the team with 21 points and 5 rebounds. Green, likely motivated by his matchup against Jusuf Nurkić, was even more aggressive offensively than usual. He recorded 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists.
The X-factor for Golden State, though, may have been Gary Payton II, who returned from a hamstring injury. The Young Glove was 5-for-5 from the field with 11 points and was a ferocious defensive player, adding a steal and two blocks in fewer than 15 minutes of action.
Andrew Wiggins struggled offensively, but teams up with Kuminga, Green, and Payton to limit Suns star Kevin Durant’s effectiveness. The former Warriors wing needed 25 shots from the field to score 24 points and was never able to take over the game. Bradley Beal also was limited to just 15 points during the contest.
The Warriors led by two in the final minutes of regulation, but the game was far from over. Podziemski had a chance to give the Dubs a five-point lead in the final two minutes, but missed a three from the right wing. Booker quickly pushed the pace in the other direction and tied things up with a short jumper.
Curry missed a deep three on the subsequent possession that turned into a mid-range jumper by Beal. Curry tied things up with a drive, but Booker answer with a fadeaway.
Phoenix led 112-110 with 35.6 seconds remaining.
Kuminga was unable to finish a pair of opportunities at the rim, giving the Suns a chance to build a two-possession lead. Rather than fouling, the Warriors allowed the Suns to play out the shot clock. Beal missed a three-point attempt, so the Dubs got one more shot.
With 3.3 on the clock, Podziemski in-bounded the ball a bit behind Curry, but the future Hall of Famer corralled the pass, turned toward the hoop, and fired in one motion. His shot fell through the hoop to a raucous Chase Center atmosphere. The Dubs led 113-112 with 0.7 seconds left on the clock. The Suns were unable to get a shot off to try and retake the lead.