Jalen Green missed all three regular-season meetings between the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors. He made up for it Friday.
Green scored 36 points — including 13 in the third quarter — to lead the Suns past the Warriors, 111-96, in a Play-In Tournament elimination game in Phoenix.
After blowing an 11-point fourth-quarter lead in Thursday’s 7-8 matchup, the Suns didn’t let this one slip. They held off the Warriors to secure the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference and a first-round matchup with the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Suns led by five to begin the third quarter and stretched the margin to nine, 78-69, thanks in large part to Green, who went 5 for 7 from the field in the quarter, including 3 of 5 from beyond the arc.
The Warriors, who rallied from 13 down to win Wednesday’s 9-10 Play-In game, got 17 points from star Stephen Curry.
Here are our takeaways from Phoenix:
Phoenix needed this
If you asked which organization needed this more, the answer was obvious. An aging Golden State would have little to gain from advancing, with a rested and powerful Oklahoma City team waiting. Better to head home and figure out how to reload for next season.
Phoenix, on the other hand, is a different story. After the Kevin Durant-Bradley Beal disaster, the organization needed to win back the fan base’s trust. The eighth seed is nothing to celebrate — and the Suns made the Play-In Tournament much more difficult than it needed to be — but reaching the playoffs was an important step. The Suns may not win a game against the Thunder. In fact, they probably will not. But as long as they don’t get embarrassed, this can at least be a starting point. — Doug Haller, NBA writer
No late-game heroics from Steph tonight
Stephen Curry turned back time on Wednesday night against the LA Clippers and extended the Warriors’ season for one more game in a vintage performance that made everybody remember just how good this team can still be on certain nights. Two nights later, in Friday night’s 111-96 season-ending loss to the Suns, Curry and the Warriors looked like exactly the kind of injury-riddled team they’ve been most of the season.
The 38-year-old poured everything he had into Wednesday’s 35-point effort. There wasn’t much gas left in the tank. Curry finished 4 for 16 from the field and 3 for 10 from deep for 17 points, struggling to create space against a Suns defense that swarmed him. Even when he did, he didn’t have the same type of lift he had in the last game.
The Warriors were only ever going to go as far as Curry could carry them in this Play-In. Friday night was a reminder of the limit — even for him. On the other side, Jalen Green had his most important game as a pro and set the tone for the rest of his Suns teammates.
Now Curry and the Warriors head into an uncertain offseason, with Curry’s ailing right knee a central concern. Curry’s greatness hasn’t gone anywhere. But on this night, after a long season, it wasn’t enough to extend the Warriors’ season for a couple more weeks. — Nick Friedell, Warriors writer
Not overlooked
Jalen Green was the star, but Jordan Goodwin set the tone.
He had three steals in the opening minutes. He chased Stephen Curry. That’s what Goodwin does: hustle, hound and harass. It isn’t always pretty — he grabbed an offensive rebound in traffic in the first half and rushed a miss that didn’t hit the rim — but what he provides is invaluable.
In addition to his defense, Goodwin finished with 19 points, nine rebounds (four offensive), five steals and two assists — a performance that shouldn’t be overlooked. — Haller
