Green Scores 36 Points, Suns Lock Down Warriors, Curry in 111-96 Win/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Jalen Green scored 36 points as the Phoenix Suns defeated the Golden State Warriors 111-96 in the NBA play-in tournament. Stephen Curry was held to just 17 points as Phoenix secured the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The Suns now move on to face the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 on Sunday.
Jalen Green delivered one of his biggest performances of the season Friday night, scoring 36 points to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 111-96 victory over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA play-in tournament.
The win secured Phoenix the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and sent the Warriors home, ending their season.
The Suns now advance to face the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the first round on Sunday.
For Golden State, the loss closed the book on a frustrating season filled with inconsistency and late playoff pressure.
Green was nearly unstoppable offensively, shooting 14 of 20 from the field and knocking down 8 of 14 shots from beyond the arc.
His scoring burst gave Phoenix the offensive firepower it needed while the defense focused heavily on limiting Stephen Curry.
Devin Booker added 20 points and played a strong two-way game, while Jordan Goodwin contributed 19 points, nine rebounds, and six steals in one of the best defensive performances of the night.
Goodwin’s relentless ball pressure created major problems for Golden State’s backcourt and helped keep the Warriors from finding rhythm offensively.
Royce O’Neale also contributed key transition baskets, including a fast-break layup that helped Phoenix extend control in the third quarter.
Much of Phoenix’s success came from its defensive effort against Stephen Curry, who struggled to find clean shooting opportunities all game.
The 38-year-old superstar finished with just 17 points while shooting 4 of 16 from the field.
For a player known for explosive postseason performances, it was one of his quietest elimination-game outings.
Phoenix constantly pressured Curry off the ball, forced difficult looks, and limited his ability to create the type of momentum-changing runs Golden State often relies on.
Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with 23 points, but the team never found enough consistent offense to seriously threaten Phoenix late.
Kristaps Porzingis, playing through right ankle soreness suffered earlier in the week against the Los Angeles Clippers, played just 15 minutes and finished with 11 points.
Tensions rose late in the fourth quarter when Booker and Draymond Green exchanged words multiple times.
Both players were assessed two technical fouls and were ejected from the game.
The heated moment reflected the playoff intensity of a winner-take-all matchup where both teams entered under heavy pressure.
For Phoenix, the emotions came after a disappointing collapse earlier in the week when the team blew an 11-point fourth-quarter lead in a loss to Portland.
For Golden State, confidence came from Wednesday’s comeback win over the Los Angeles Clippers after overcoming a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit.
That history made Friday’s late-game lead feel far from secure.
Phoenix led by five points at halftime after controlling much of the opening half.
The Suns pushed the lead to 69-53 with 5:12 left in the third quarter after O’Neale’s fast-break layup and later stretched the margin to 85-72 entering the final stretch.
Still, the Warriors briefly made things interesting.
Curry knocked down a 3-pointer that cut the deficit to 85-78 with 9:30 remaining, raising the possibility of another Golden State comeback.
But Phoenix answered immediately with the next seven points, shutting down any momentum and putting the game out of reach.
That response helped the Suns avoid becoming the first team since the current play-in format began in 2021 to lose both home play-in games in the same season.
The Suns established control early by jumping out to a 13-2 lead as Golden State committed four quick turnovers.
Phoenix pushed the advantage to 33-15 by the end of the first quarter after the Warriors shot just 30% from the field and hit only 1 of 9 attempts from 3-point range.
Golden State recovered enough to cut the deficit to 50-45 by halftime, but the early damage forced them to chase the game the rest of the night.
In the end, Phoenix’s combination of shot-making, defense, and urgency proved too much.
Now the Suns head into the playoffs with momentum, while the Warriors begin an offseason full of major questions.
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