Playing without Steph Curry again, the Golden State Warriors got a career-high 20 points from Pat Spencer and held the Phoenix Suns to 15 fourth-quarter points in a 101-97 win on Thursday.
PHOENIX – The gameplan Thursday for the Golden State Warriors versus the Phoenix Suns was crystal clear with Stephen Curry sidelined again.
Fire away from 3-point range with lockdown defense in the final quarter.
The Warriors finished a 101-97 victory with a 25-7 run at Mortgage Matchup Center, securing their third victory in eight games since Jimmy Butler tore his right CL. Golden State shot 20 of 55 from 3-point range, with 15 of the threes coming in the opening half.
Pat Spencer started at the point and scored a career-high 20 points, shooting 6-of-10 from 3-point range. Gui Santos added 18 points, the go-ahead layup, and seven assists with three 3-pointers. De'Anthony Melton scored 17 and teamed with Moses Moody to stymie Dillon Brooks in isolation during Phoenix's final possession.
Brooks scored a game-high 24 for the Suns down star guard Devin Booker. Grayson Allen added 21 points and five 3-pointers.
Warriors 101, Suns 97
| FG | FT | Reb | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOLDEN STATE | Min | M-A | M-A | O-T | A | PF | PTS |
| Moody | 30:54 | 2-7 | 0-0 | 0-8 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Santos | 35:56 | 6-9 | 3-5 | 0-4 | 7 | 2 | 18 |
| D.Green | 24:07 | 1-3 | 2-2 | 0-5 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Melton | 24:43 | 6-14 | 3-4 | 0-2 | 1 | 1 | 17 |
| Spencer | 32:24 | 6-11 | 2-2 | 1-6 | 4 | 2 | 20 |
| Horford | 27:56 | 4-10 | 3-5 | 2-4 | 4 | 1 | 13 |
| Richard | 27:17 | 2-6 | 2-2 | 3-3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| Payton II | 18:49 | 6-11 | 0-0 | 3-8 | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| Podziemski | 12:11 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Post | 5:43 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 240:00 | 33-76 | 15-20 | 10-45 | 23 | 12 | 101 |
Percentages: FG .434, FT .750.
3-Point Goals: 20-55, .364 (Spencer 6-10, Payton II 3-6, Santos 3-6, Horford 2-5, Moody 2-7, Melton 2-9, D.Green 1-3, Richard 1-4, Post 0-2, Podziemski 0-3).
Team Rebounds: 8. Team Turnovers: None.
Blocked Shots: 4 (Horford, Moody, Payton II, Santos).
Turnovers: 15 (Spencer 4, Horford 3, Santos 3, Melton 2, D.Green, Moody, Podziemski).
Steals: 8 (Melton 3, Spencer 2, Payton II, Richard, Santos).
Technical Fouls: None.
| FG | FT | Reb | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHOENIX | Min | M-A | M-A | O-T | A | PF | PTS |
| Brooks | 35:13 | 10-24 | 2-3 | 1-6 | 1 | 3 | 24 |
| O'Neale | 27:11 | 3-7 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| Williams | 22:47 | 5-6 | 1-1 | 2-10 | 0 | 3 | 11 |
| Allen | 32:32 | 7-17 | 2-2 | 1-5 | 4 | 1 | 21 |
| Gillespie | 33:24 | 4-12 | 0-0 | 2-3 | 4 | 0 | 11 |
| Goodwin | 29:22 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Ighodaro | 24:51 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 0-5 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Bouyea | 19:31 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 0-3 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Dunn | 12:25 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Livers | 2:44 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 240:00 | 38-82 | 5-6 | 6-37 | 22 | 15 | 97 |
Percentages: FG .463, FT .833.
3-Point Goals: 16-43, .372 (Allen 5-13, O'Neale 3-6, Gillespie 3-10, Brooks 2-6, Goodwin 2-6, Dunn 1-2).
Team Rebounds: 5. Team Turnovers: None.
Blocked Shots: 1 (Williams).
Turnovers: 12 (Allen 3, Brooks 2, Ighodaro 2, Bouyea, Dunn, Gillespie, O'Neale, Williams).
Steals: 10 (Bouyea 2, Goodwin 2, Ighodaro 2, Allen, Brooks, Dunn, Gillespie).
Technical Fouls: None.
| Golden State | 25 | 34 | 17 | 25 | - | 101 |
| Phoenix | 29 | 26 | 27 | 15 | - | 97 |
A_17,071 (18,422).
Absent Curry (runner's knee) for the second straight game, the Warriors started a small-ball lineup with Draymond Green at center next to Spencer, Santos, Moody and Melton. They seemingly fired their first open three after passing, cutting and screening through their offense. Spencer started their 3-point barrage with the first of seven first-quarter triples on 20 attempts – Golden State's season-high for a quarter.
With 17 second-quarter attempts, the Warriors (28-24) set a franchise record for most 3-pointers attempted in a half. Spencer made five, Santos made three and Melton, Moody and Gary Payton II made two apiece en route to a 59-55 halftime lead.
Golden State battled its size disadvantage with swarming team defense that slowed the Suns, but its third-quarter offense stalled amid 1-of-10 shooting from 3-point range. Phoenix conversely made 6 of 11, punishing the Warriors and their sputtering offense while tightening its defense.
The Suns (31-21) opened the final quarter with an 8-0 run, forming a 14-point deficit and forcing a timeout at the 10:10 mark. But Golden State answered with the go-ahead run, securing stop after stop after stop. Melton drove to the basket for two after a timeout at the 1:05 mark and Moody blocked Suns guard Collin Gillespie, leading to a runout layup for Santos.
Moody passed defense off to Melton, switching a ball screen on the final possession.
Golden State next plays Saturday against the Lakers in Los Angeles.
This article originally published at Warriors sink 20 3s, defense steps up in fourth quarter to stun Suns.
Category: General Sports
