Huerter leads the way with 29 pts; Kings end 2 game skid over Suns 135-127

Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) is defended by Phoenix Suns center Bismack Biyombo (18) as he drives to the basket in the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Fri Mar 24, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (44-29) were back in action on Friday night in Sacramento. The Kings on Friday were coming off one of the toughest games of the season. The Kings were defeated on Tuesday against the Boston Celtics by the final of 132-109. It was a humbling game for the Kings, who had lost two in a row.

On Friday, the Kings were set to take on the Phoenix Suns, who had also lost two in a row and were looking to snap the streak. The Kings behind the efforts of Kevin Huerter and his leading 29 points ended the Kings two game skid with a 135-127 win at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

GAME RESULT: In the first quarter, the Kings offense started slow. The Kings only scored 24 points in the first quarter as they couldn’t heat up on the offensive end. The Suns put up 30 points to put the Kings in an early hole. One major discrepancy in the game was that the Kings shot no free throws as the Suns shot nine. It was an underwhelming quarter for the Kings, who looked to turn it around in the second.

In the second quarter, the Kings continued to play very poorly. The offense didn’t look like it usually does with quick ball movement and open shots. Also, not to add insult to injury, the Kings defense is not very good. The lack of Kings defense was on full display in the first half. The Suns outscored the Kings again in the second quarter 37-32. The Suns weren’t even shooting well from deep going on 2/14 in that category, but the Kings couldn’t keep pace. The Kings would enter halftime down 67-56.

In the third quarter, the Kings came roaring back. The Kings outscored the Suns by a massive 45-26 in the third quarter. The Kings could do no wrong on the offensive end, as Hurter couldn’t miss. The Kings seemed to have their swagger back—something we hadn’t seen in almost three games from the Kings. In the third quarter, De’Aaron Fox went to the locker room and was out the rest of the game with a hamstring issue. The Kings would need to close the game in the fourth quarter without Fox and a 101-93 lead.

In the fourth quarter, it was a dog fight until the end. However, the Kings came out victorious! The Kings battled in a way they hadn’t shown in the last few games to take down the team immediately behind them in the standings. The Kings beat the Suns on Friday night in an eight point win. It was a huge win for the Kings who needed to snap the two-game losing skid they were on.

On the other hand, the Suns lost their third game in a row and in dire straights losing ground in the standings. The Kings were led by a great performance from Huerter in his return from injury. Huerter scored 29 points and was lethal from behind the line. In defeat, the Suns were led by Devin Booker who had 32 points.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Utah Jazz on Saturday at 7 PM PST. It will be the second night of a back-to-back.

Warriors lead wire-to-wire to beat Suns 123-112; Golden State picks up 8th consecutive home victory

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, left, makes a 3-point basket against Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) during the first half at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Mon Mar 13, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (36-33), coming off an exciting win over the Milwaukee Bucks (37-31) last Saturday, did not have a let down as they defeated the Phoenix Suns 123-112 Monday night at the Chase Center. The Suns had beaten the Warriors three times earlier in the season.

The Warriors wanted to win this game. Both teams were missing key players due to injury. The Suns’ Kevin Durant was out with an ankle injury. The Warriors did not have Jonathan Kuminga available, either. 

There’s a saying in the NBA that a team cannot win a game with a great first period. Teams can lose a game by not playing well. Behind Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, the Warriors raced out to an early 43-21 lead. Thompson led the Warriors with 18, and Curry added 12.

JaMychal Green, coming off the bench, pitched in with seven. The Suns got their offense going in the second quarter. Devon Booker and DeAndre Ayton started making buckets, and the Suns were able to win the quarter 37-32 to cut the deficit to 17, 75-58. 

As NBA fans know, many teams can overcome a 17-point deficit in the second half. The Suns needed to continue to play well on defense and get the Warriors to commit fouls. The formula worked. The momentum shifted to Phoenix for most of the third quarter. Thompson, who had 33 points in the first half, did not score in the quarter.

The Warriors made bad passes and turned the ball over several times. The Suns did not take three-point shots. They drove the ball to the basket. The Warriors committed four fouls early in the quarter, allowing the Suns to get to the free throw line. The Suns closed the gap to three, 87-84.

Curry’s bucket put the Warriors ahead 90-84. Jordan Poole knocked down a three to make 93-84. The Warriors finished the third period leading by ten, 98-88.

Poole came to life in the fourth quarter. Poole hit a three to put the Warriors ahead by 14, 110-96. The Warriors offense kept the pressure on the Suns. Poole made a three and a two-pointer to give the Warriors a 16-point advantage, 118-12. Curry made a three to put the Warriors in the driver’s seat, 123-106. The Suns scored the last six points of the game in garbage time.

Game Notes: The Warriors won their eighth straight at the Chase Center. They are 29-7 at home. The Warriors improved to 36-33. The Suns fell to 37-31.

Thompson paced the Warriors with 38 points. Thompson had 33 in the first half and five in the second. Thompson recorded eight threes. Curry’s line was 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, and he made four threes. Poole had 20 points, and he made four threes.

Draymond Green had four points, six rebounds, and four assists. Early in the fourth quarter, Draymond made an easy bucket when the Phoenix defense thought he would pass the ball. Draymond turned, and there was no one in his way and made the slam to give the team a 12-point lead. 

Booker led the Suns with 32 points. Booler did not make a three. The other big gun in the Suns’ offense, DeAndre Ayton, had a double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Chris Paul had a double-double with 11 points and 11 assists. Josh Okogie also had eleven.

The Warriors, who are 7-26 away from the Chase Center, begin a five-game road trip starting Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. They play the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, The Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. It will be the last back-to-back games of the year for the Warriors. They meet the Houston Rockets on Monday, the 20th, and the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, the 22. The Warriors return home to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, the 24th. 

Barnes leads with 19 pts in Kings third straight win over Suns 128-119

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) pressures Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) during the first half at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Sat Mar 11, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Saturday night the Sacramento Kings (40-26) traveled to Phoenix to take on the Suns (37-30). It was a battle between the second and fourth place teams in the Western Conference. The Kings picked up their third straight win 128-119.

The Kings fell behind early in the first quarter trailing 17-6 at 6:53. As the first 12 minutes came to an end, the Kings had made up a lot of ground trailing by a single point 32-31.

The Kings started the second quarter on a great note tying up the game at 36 in the early minutes of the quarter. The Kings would take the lead with nine minutes left in the half 39-38 and continue to maintain a slim lead throughout the remainder of the second quarter.

As the quarter wound down Sacramento extended their lead. They had turned the slow start around and led at the half 67-59. The Kings went to the line 26 times in the first half, forced turnovers and outshot the Suns from downtown 38% to the Suns 22%.

After two quarters the Kings bench was outstanding collectively scoring 37 points. De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Harrison Barnes each had 8 points in the opening half.

The Suns began to chip away at the Kings lead in the third quarter. At 3:29 Phoenix took the lead 85-81. Sacramento had some untimely turnovers and empty possessions. With under three minutes left in the third the score was tied at 85. The Kings held onto a slim one point lead after three quarters 96-95. Malik Monk had 15 points going into the fourth quarter. He was three of four from downtown and was a huge part of the Kings lead.

The Kings have the best offense in clutch situations and they would go on to prove just that. This game continued to see-saw with both teams trading the lead. With seven minutes left the score was tied at 105. With 1:22 left in the game the Kings were clinging to a one point lead 119-118. Fox made a 17 foot jump shot to push the lead to 121-118 with 58 seconds left on the clock. Kessler Edwards hit a three-point jumper to seal the win 128-119.

Sabonis was terrific on the pick and roll defense. He finished the game with 8 rebounds and 15 points. The clutch player on the floor tonight and quite frankly almost every night Fox had 18 points and six assists. The bench was a huge part of this win with 65 points. Seven Kings scored in double digits in this game. The Kings just punched they’re 40th win of the season.

Monday night the Kings will be challenged as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks at Golden 1 Center. The Bucks come into this game after losing in overtime to the Golden State Warriors Saturday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Fox and Sabonis look forward to representing Kings at All Star game

Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (left) and De’Aaron Fox (right) will represent the Kings at the NBA All Star Game this weekend on Sun Feb 19, 2023 in Florida (photo from NBC Sports Northern California)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, the first half of the season ended for the Sacramento Kings (32-25) not so well in Phoenix as the Kings were defeated rather handedly by the Phoenix Suns (32-27) at Footprint Arena on Tuesday night.

#2 The Kings by and large did get some high scoring by De’Aaron Fox with 35 points and Domantas Sabonis with 24 points but it wasn’t enough to win the game for the Kings.

#3 The key part of the Suns victory was they kept the Kings from scoring by some double teaming and strangling the paint the Kings for some crucial parts of the game got their inside game shutdown.

#4 On defense for the Kings couldn’t plug up the hole for the Suns Devon Booker 32 points and Deandre Ayton with 29 points.

#5 Fox and Sabonis are representing the Kings at the NBA All Star game this Sunday Feb 19th talk about the season they’ve both been having and what you look forward to see them doing this weekend at the NBA All Star game.

Join Jeremiah for the Sacramento Kings podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings no match for Suns Booker and Ayton in 120-109 crushing at Footprint Arena

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) who led with 35 points but the effort wasn’t enough as the Phoenix Suns came away with an 11 point win at Footprint Arena in Phoenix on Tue Feb 14, 2023 (@SacramentoKings photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

PHOENIX–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Tuesday night in Phoenix as they took on the Suns. The Kings were last on the court on Saturday when they took on the Dallas Mavericks on the second night of a back-to-back at home. The Kings lost the first night of the two-game series against Dallas.

However, the Kings managed to lock down an overtime win on Saturday 133-128. On Tuesday, the Kings would look to secure a win in the last game before the All-Star break. The Kings will send Domas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox to the festivities in Utah as All-Stars. Kevin Heurter will travel to Utah to compete in the NBA three-point challenge. On Tuesday, the Kings fell to the Suns 120-109 in Phoenix.

In the first quarter, the Kings played a solid opening quarter. The Kings defense was solid with the exceptions of Ayton and Devin Booker who scored eight and nine points respectively. Fox started the Kings out on the right foot scoring seven points. The Kings defense overall was solid even with a few missed assignments. The Kings outscored the Suns 29-27 in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, The Suns came out hot in the quarter and were able to maintain the pressure throughout. The Suns scored 35 points in the second quarter compared to the Kings who only scored 29 points. The Kings defense could not contain Josh Okogie, Chris Paul, and Booker.

The three players scored a combined 41 points in the first half. The Kings would enter the second half down 62-58. However, the Kings did put up a fight in the first half. Fox had 16 points as he was leading the Kings. The Kings would need to go off on the offensive end in the second half if they wanted to defeat the Suns.

In the third quarter, the Kings and Suns were trading shot for shot. Both teams scored 28 points in the third to keep the score at 90-86. The Kings defense continued to not be able to contain the Suns. Also, the Kings offense was missing some of the burst you typically see. Shots were not falling as easily for the Kings on Tuesday night.

The difference in the game was the Kings shooting under 50% in the game and the Suns shooting over 50%. The Suns were simply making more out of their possessions than the Kings. In the fourth quarter, the Kings would need every ounce of offense to make the comeback happen.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings weren’t able to muster the offense needed to make the comeback. The whole game the Kings appeared outmatched. However, the Kings kept the game close and stayed in the fight. The Kings were outscored by the Suns in the final quarter 30-23.

The Kings offense couldn’t get on a run all night long. The Kings fell to the Suns in the valley by the final 120-109. The Kings were led by an impressive Fox who scored 35 points in the game. Booker torched the Kings as usual as he scored 32 points in the game.

Up Next: The Kings will be off for the All-Star break until February 23rd. When the Kings return to play they will take on the Portland Trailblazers at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

Warriors Lose Third Straight At Chase To Suns 125-113

Phoenix Suns forward Torrey Craig dunks against the Golden State Warriors in the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Jan 10, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday night the Golden State Warriors (20-21) took on the Phoenix Suns (22-21) in the final game of this eight game home stand. Things were really looking up for Golden State welcoming back Stephen Curry. Andrew Wiggins was back for his first game after a long 15 game stretch on Saturday losing to the Orlando Magic. The Welcoming didn’t last long as the Warriors wound up losing their third straight game to the Suns at Chase Center in San Francisco 125-113.

Klay Thompson who sat out the Orlando game on Sunday was back on the court. The starting roster hasn’t looked this way for awhile now. Draymond Green, Curry, Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney started the game.

The Phoenix squad were not at all intimidated by the Warriors leading 31-26 after the first quarter going on a 10-0 run to finish the first twelve minutes.

The Suns starters Devon Booker, Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul did not play but despite that the team did not miss a beat. Damian Lee was the spark for the Suns in the first quarter going two of three from downtown. He had 11 points in the opening quarter.

Phoenix created a sizable lead in the second quarter 53-36 with 5:07 left in the half. The Warriors had zero free throws while the Suns were ten of ten at the line. The Warriors offense was in disarray shooting 24% in the second quarter. At 3:27 left in the second quarter the Warriors went to the line for the first time in the game.

The Warriors had 11 turnovers in the first half and trailed at halftime 59-45. Golden State had to create some sort of offensive rhythm in the second half. The Warriors finished the half shooting at 34%. The Suns were shooting 38% but it was shots from beyond the arc (44%) that had given them the 14 point lead after two quarters.

The Suns continued to pour it on while the Warriors could not get a thing going with the exception of Thompson. Phoenix had taken a 86-62 lead with 3:53 left in the third quarter. Thompson was the only Warrior with double digits.

The Suns totally outplayed the Warriors through the first three quarters leading 98-79 going into the fourth quarter. Phoenix could not miss and with the exception of Thompson the Warriors were struggling on offense. Poole started hitting shots in the closing minutes of the third finishing with 14 points.

The Suns offense began to unravel in the fourth quarter. Golden State cut the Phoenix lead to thirteen with 5:40 left in the game. Golden State had opportunity after opportunity. The Warriors were getting stops and cashing in on some of them but also missing some wide open shots.

It got ugly in the final minutes of the game with Andre Iguodala being ejected. Golden State went on an 8-0 run with three minutes left in the game. The Suns had 25 offensive rebounds and cashed in with 21 points. The Warriors really picked it up in the final minutes of the game trailing by six points 117-111. They just ran out of clock. Trailing at one time by 27 the Warriors made a real bid to take this game but ended up losing.

This was a morale building for the Suns after losing six straight games. Mikal Bridges finished with 26 games, followed by Duane Washington Jr. with 21 points. Former Warrior Lee came off the bench for 22 points.

The return of Curry, Thompson and Andrew Wiggins all playing together didn’t bring the anticipated excitement until the fourth quarter. Thompson had 29 points and Curry finished with 24.

Off the bench Poole had 27 points. Golden State cannot wait until the fourth quarter to turn on their defense and start sinking shots at the end. It’s just not winning basketball and they better get over it by next Friday when they take on the San Antonio Spurs. That game will kickoff a five game road trip.

Friday night the Warriors will head out on the road to take on the San Antonio Spurs. Golden State will be looking to get some wins on the road where they have struggled mightily this season. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30.

Warriors Outplayed Against Magic 115-101

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) celebrates with center Wendell Carter Jr. during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco at Chase Center on Fri Jan 7, 2023 (AP News photo)

Warriors Outplayed Against Magic 115-101

By Barbara Mason

After a disappointing loss to the Pistons Wednesday night the Golden State Warriors (20-20) took on a very young Orlando Magic (15-25) team. The Magic have been stringing wins together including back to back wins over the Boston Celtics. The Magic are a dangerous tenacious team despite their youth and they came away with a win over the Warriors 115-101.

Andrew Wiggins and Andre Iguodala were back with the team tonight but Klay Thompson did not take the court out with left knee soreness.

The Warriors won the first quarter 29-28. The Orlando Magic came out strong shooting 55%. The Magic won the second quarter 34-30 and at the half led 62-59. Anthony Lamb carried the team in the first half finishing the first two quarters with 22 points. No other Warrior had double digits in fact the next closest player for Golden State had nine points.

The Magic’s Paolo Banchero had 19 points and Franz Wagner had 12. Both of these players stand at 6’10” and create some tough defense. Orlando had 30 points in the paint and the Warriors turnovers became problematic. The Magic had 11 points off turnovers.

Orlando led, while not by much, for most of the first half. The Magic got their largest lead of the night in the early minutes of the third quarter 71-62. Draymond Green already had four fouls with a lot of game still to be played. The Warriors got incredibly careless with the turnovers and the Magic now had 18 points off turnovers.

The third quarter had started out in a very sloppy manner. The Warriors were getting outplayed and trailed by 13 points with 6:06 left in the quarter. Golden State was relying on the shots beyond the arc rather than driving the basket getting into the paint.

The Warriors already had 14 turnovers with three minutes left in the third and were only shooting at 42%. Golden State needed better execution on both ends of the floor offensively and defensively. The Heat won the third quarter 30-23 and led by ten points 92-82 in some really stagnant play by Golden State.

The Warriors would need a furious fourth quarter if they expected to win this game. They did not and the best home team in the league bit the dust. It was so disappointing on so many levels, offensively and defensively, in the paint and especially beyond the arc.

The Magic played a superior game. Banchero had 25 points and Wagner with 24. Orlando had their way with Golden State from start to finish and with each quarter the Warriors fell further behind.

Anthony Lamb had 26 points off the bench and Jordan Poole finished with 21 points.

The Warriors will play their last home game on Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns. Two teams with identical records at 20-20. The Suns have been really struggling these past few weeks so this is a game Golden State really wants to win before they head out on the road. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Kings lose by 5 to Suns 122-117; Sac drops three straight games

The Sacramento Kings Malik Molnk (0) takes a jump shot against the Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) and guard Damion Lee (10) at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Nov 28, 2022 (@ SacramentoKings photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday night in Sacramento. The Kings were fresh off multiple days of rest and a tough east coast road trip. The Kings had a three city swing that took them through Memphis, Atlanta, and Boston.

The Kings went 1-2 on the trip dropping the last two games in Atlanta and Boston. On Monday they hoped to reverse the tide against the Phoenix Suns. Tip off was set for 7 PM PST in Sacramento. The Kings lost to the Suns 122-117.

In the first quarter, it was a fairly even game for both sides. The Suns came out with a bit more offensive power than the Kings out scoring them 31-26 in the first quarter. Kevin Huerter was keeping the Kings in the game early.

In the second quarter, the Kings played very well. Defense was still to be wished for but the Kings managed to score 38 points on the Suns in the second quarter. The offensive showing was impressive given that the Suns are one of the top defenses in the league. The Suns scored 32 in the second. Heading into halftime the Kings led the Suns 64-63.

In the third quarter, it was all Suns. The Kings went from a high powered offense in the second to only managing 20 points against the Suns in the third quarter. The third quarter is really where the Kings lost the game. The Suns scored 28 points in the third to take a 91-84 lead into the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings put up a fight. However, it ultimately wasn’t enough to stop Devin Booker who lead with 44 points and led the Suns in scoring. The Kings outscored the Suns 33-31 in the final quarter but it wasn’t enough to overtake Phoenix. The Kings lost the game 122-117.

The Kings had a chance to have the last possession of the game only down three points but were unable to grab the rebound after a great defensive stop. It was a frustrating game for the Kings who received a sub par performance from star De’Aaron Fox. Domantas Sabonis had an impressive game with 17 points, 9 assists, and 10 rebounds.

Malik Monk led the way for the Kings with 30 points. However, the story of the night was the dominating performance from Devin Booker who scored 44 points. The Kings will turn their attention to the next game to rebound.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday at 7 PM PS

Warriors Lose Eighth Road Game To Phoenix 130-119

Warriors Lose Eighth Road Game To Phoenix 130-119

The Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (right) is guarded by the Phoenix Suns Damian Lee (left) in first half action at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Wed Nov 16, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday evening the Golden State Warriors (6-9) traveled to the Valley of the Sun taking on the Phoenix Suns (9-5). Back on the road again the Warriors attempted to win their first road game of the season but stay winless on the road with a loss to the Suns 130-119. Golden State has lost eight games this season, seven of them on the road. They are solid at home but on the road it is a quandary.

The Warriors took an early lead in the first quarter of this game. Mid-way through the quarter the tables turned in favor of the Suns and the Warriors would not see another lead for the remainder of the quarter. The Suns led 36-33 after the first twelve minutes.

The second quarter was more of the same for the Warriors. They could not regain the lead. They needed to slow down the Suns and it just wasn’t happening. Second chance points for the Suns were hurting the Warriors despite guard Stephen Curry coming out on fire. Curry was keeping his team in the game but so far it wasn’t enough to get on top of Phoenix. The Suns kept the pressure on and led at the half 72-65.

Curry was phenomenal shooting 31 points in the first half. Kevon Looney had ten points but they would need Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole to step up in the second half. Defensively the Warriors fell short in the first half. 14 second chance shots for the Suns had been the downfall for Golden State in the first half. The rebounding for the Warriors was a glaring insufficiency and had to turn around in the second half if their first road win of the season was in their future.

The Suns wasted no time in creating a double digit lead less than three minutes into the third quarter 78-65. The Warriors continued to hang around and the good news for Golden State; Wiggins and Thompson were heating up climbing into double digits. With 3:44 left in the third Curry committed a technical and two Phoenix free throws followed. The Suns held onto the double digit lead going into the fourth quarter 103-89 their largest lead of the game.

Despite Curry finishing with 50 points the Suns were just the better team winning 130-119. So the search for the elusive road win continues. Thompson and Wiggins both shot for 14 points. Poole struggled playing for 26 minutes and coming up with two rebounds and two points.

All five starters for Phoenix shot in double digits with Cameron Payne the leader with 29 points. Devon Booker finished with 27.

The Warriors will travel home to take on the Knicks Friday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Suns Wallop Golden State 134-105; Seven technicals and Thompson first career ejection

The Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson (right) drives on the Phoenix Suns Mikal Bridges (left) in first half action at Walking Stick Arena in Phoenix on Tue Oct 25, 2022 (AP News photo)

Suns Wallop Golden State 134-105

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday night the Golden State Warriors (2-2) took on the Phoenix Suns (3-1) at Footprint Center. Both teams are coming off wins, the Warriors beating the Kings Sunday 130-125 and the Suns handling the Clippers 112-95 on Sun Oct 23. Golden State has struggled in transition and will be looking for some improvement against a very tough Phoenix Suns.

The Warriors got a fast start and led through the opening minutes before the Suns got going. With five minutes left in the first quarter the Suns had taken a ten point lead and after the first 12 minutes Phoenix held a 37-29 lead. The Warriors had shot at 46% and the Suns edged them slightly shooting at 48%.

In the Warriors last game, the second unit had struggled but in this outing these young guys were nothing short of terrific. This unit had cut the Suns lead from eight points to a tie game at 39 in the early minutes of the second quarter.

This game remained close with the Suns holding slim leads throughout the quarter. The Warriors Jordan Poole hit a three that was nullified by a shot clock violation in the closing seconds. The Suns Chris Paul hit a three with 0.5 seconds left on the clock and at the half, it was Phoenix with a 72-66 lea

The Suns Devon Booker led the Suns with 16 points scored. Poole had the point high off the bench with 14 points and Warrior guard Stephen Curry led the starting roster with 13 points.

The difference in the first half for the Warriors was points in the paint. James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga would need to step up in the second half. They would need some defensive excellence if they wanted to beat the Suns.

The Suns began to run away with the third quarter. They had an 11-0 run and led 94-77 with four minutes left in the third. A blow for the Warriors was the ejection of Klay Thompson, the first of his career. The Suns were getting to the free throw line in this game while the Warriors were not and that had a lot to do with the score of this game.

The Suns had shot 28 free throws in the first three quarters. At the end of the third quarter the Suns had a considerable lead 105-86. Phoenix had scored 33+ points in the first three quarters; they were in total command of this game.

Things began to get tight in the fourth quarter when the Warriors cut a 19 point Sun lead to 12. The Warriors were on a 7-0 run before the Suns began to push back leading 115-99 with under six minutes left in the game.

The Suns continued to extend their lead for the remainder of the game. Booker was relentless finishing with 34 points. The final was 134-105 in a dominating game by Phoenix. The Sun’s defense was just better than Golden State’s.

The high score for the Warriors was Curry with 21 points. It was a lackluster offensive effort from Golden State. They hung with the Suns in the first half but it all came apart in the second half.

Thursday night the Warriors will play Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat at Chase Center. Tipoff will be at 7:00 PM.