It was quite the rollercoaster of a game tonight in Phoenix.
The Suns got off to a slow start with the Warriors in control at the half and even through the first few minutes of the third quarter. Then, they turned a switch on and stormed back in front. It looked like they had the game in the bag, up by as many as 14 in the 4th quarter… until they weren’t.
The Warriors went on a furious 10-0 run to close the game out. Brooks hero ball did not do the trick, as the offense went stagnant down the stretch and Phoenix went away from what makes them great — ball movement. To make matters worse, Grayson Allen went down with an injury late in the game.
Dillon Brooks finished with 24 points on 10 of 24 shooting to pace the Suns. Grayson Allen chipped in with 21 points on 7 of 17 shooting, and Mark Williams posted an 11 point 10 rebound double-double. Pat Curry Spencer had 20 points and nailed 6 threes. The Warriors had 5 players with 13+ points.
It was a bad loss.
First Half
The pace was rapid early on, with Phoenix jumping out to a 9-6 lead after a Royce O’Neale triple. Golden State quickly responded with a pair of threes to push the Warriors out in front, 12-9, leading to a Jordan Ott timeout.
Dillon Brooks had this nice take early.
Grayson Allen hit back-to-back threes to force a Steve Kerr timeout. They went back and forth, trading buckets, and were tied at 25, then the Suns closed out on a 4-0 run.
Mark Williams sent this ball to Egypt. He had 6 points and 5 rebounds in his first stint.
Phoenix led 29-25 after one, led by 8 points from Grayson Allen and Dillon Brooks each.
The Warriors opened the 2nd quarter on a 10-2 run to pull ahead 35-31, forcing a Suns timeout to regroup. Isaiah Livers injured his shoulder and went to the locker room.
Phoenix went on a stretch with six straight made field goals, but the Warriors answered nearly every Phoenix punch. The Warriors were 15 of 37 from deep in the half, letting it fly frequently as that was clearly their game plan entering this contest.
Brooks and Curry shared a hilarious moment after Dillon hit a fadeaway jumper off Gui Santos, who was trying to sell a charge with a flop.
The Suns trailed 59-55 at halftime. Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 15 points on 7 of 12 shooting. Grayson Allen chipped in with 13 on 3 of 6 shooting from long range.
The Warriors’ shooting barrage and defensive activity gave them the edge in the opening 24 minutes.
Second Half
It didn’t start much better to open the half, as the Warriors opened on a 5-0 run to extend their lead to nine.
Pat Spencer became Steph Curry, and the Warriors were doing all the things the Suns normally do. They were outplaying Phoenix straight up.
Then the Suns that we all know and love finally showed up. A pair of threes from Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale gave Phoenix a quick 6-0 push to cut the Golden State lead to four, 66-62. A Mark Williams transition dunk made it an 8-0 Suns run to pull them within two.
Phoenix went on an 18-5 run over a 5:30 stretch in the 3rd to retake the lead, 74-71. Collin Gillespie scored his first points of the game with a minute left in the third after drilling a three-pointer.
A Phoenix 26-10 run to end the quarter gave Phoenix an 82-76 lead heading into the final quarter.
Collin Gillespie is inevitable. He had zero points with one minute left in the 3rd. He now has 11 points in the blink of an eye. A three-ball from 40 feet out pushed the Suns’ lead to 14, forcing a Steve Kerr timeout. You read that right, a 44-10 run.
The Warriors would not go away. Draymond hit a three to make it a quick Golden State 6-0 run to get them back within striking distance.
Phoenix was caught in a cold streak, with Golden State going on a 12-3 run to cut the lead to four with just under 4 minutes remaining. Grayson Allen landed awkwardly and went to the locker room in the final minutes and would not return.
The Warriors’ run continued, as they tied the game at 97 with less than a minute remaining. A 20-5 run after a Gui Santos transition lay-up gave the Warriors a two-point lead, and they didn’t look back.
Phoenix will host the 76ers on Saturday night at Mortgage Matchup Arena.