PHOENIX – After two straight wins over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Golden State Warriors headed to Phoenix looking for their first three-game winning streak of the year. Unfortunately, the Phoenix Suns snapped their three-game losing streak with a 114-93 victory over the Warriors.
The Suns improve to 9-8 on the year while seven players scored in double figures led by Mikal Bridges who finished with 20 points and Deandre Ayton added 12 points and 13 rebounds.
“I thought we had every opportunity to have it tonight,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “Phoenix turned a five-point halftime lead into an 85-71 advantage by the end of the third quarter.”
The Suns pulled away after Abdel Nader hit back-to-back 3s giving Phoenix a commanding 100-81 lead. The Suns offense was rolling, racking up 34 assists on 41 made shots.
“That’s the kind of basketball we want to play,” said Suns coach Monty Williams. “That’s the level I’m going to hold the guys to 34 assists, the ball movement, the player movement, that’s who we are. The balance was much better tonight.”
Frank Kaminsky nearly had a triple-double, finishing with 12 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Nader added 16 points and five rebounds.
Golden State’s offense was inconsistent and on the defensive side, could not generate consecutive stops when needed making their efforts more difficult. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range. Curry erupted for 14 points in the third quarter and Andrew Wiggins added 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting.
“When the games are in the margins for us this year, it’s the common theme certain three-to-four-minute windows we don’t play with the right intentions,” Curry said. “When that happens, teams who can shoot the ball across the board they hit two or three 3s and blow the game open.”
Phoenix shot 46-percent from the floor that included 34-percent on 3s. The Warriors shot 38-percent from the field and 28-percent on three’s tonight. After scoring 20 points against the Timberwolves on Wednesday night, Kelly Oubre Jr. had a rough outing against his former team finishing with just four points and four rebounds.
Oubre was ice cold from the field, shooting 1-of-11, including 0-of-5 from 3-point range. The Suns built a 14-point lead late in the first quarter, but Golden State pulled to 52-47 at halftime.
“We hung in there the first half. Shots weren’t going in but we battled and we were right in the game at halftime,” said Kerr. “It just slipped away from us. I thought Phoenix executed better than we did.”
The Warriors get the day off on Friday, then they will host the Detroit Pistons at Chase Center on Saturday night.
Photo by Warriors/Twitter
