The Phoenix Suns got exactly the kind of response they needed Saturday night, taking a 131-122 win over the Golden State Warriors in their home opener at Mortgage Matchup Center.
For Phoenix, the night was about more than just getting into the win column for the first time this regular season. It was about steadying itself after a shaky start, and Devin Booker supplied the jolt the Suns were looking for.
Booker, who drew plenty of criticism for his showing in Portland, answered with a huge bounce-back performance. His stat line said it all: 43 points on 17-25 shooting, plus seven rebounds and seven assists. If Phoenix was going to avoid another loss, Booker was going to have to drag it there, and that’s exactly what he did.
The Warriors arrived shorthanded, with Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis and Brandin Podziemski among those unavailable. Golden State was down to 11 players, which made this the kind of night the Suns were supposed to control.
But it never really turned into the comfortable cruise it should have been.
Phoenix opened the game by trailing after the first quarter, then edged ahead by three at halftime. The Suns built their biggest cushion at 10 points in the third, only to let Golden State claw back into it again. For a team with this much of a talent edge on paper, that lack of separation is hard to ignore.
The rebounding numbers added another uneasy layer to the win. Phoenix had already been beaten on the glass 56-39 in its season opener in Portland, and this time the Suns were again not nearly sharp enough in that area. Golden State was a team that finished last season as one of the league’s weaker rebounding groups, and six of its top seven rebounders from last year were either gone or unavailable Saturday night.
Even with Mark Williams and Oso Ighodaro out for Phoenix, this still looked like a game the Suns should have dominated on the boards. Instead, they were out-rebounded 44-42.
The result is a win, and the Suns move to 1-1. But the rebounding issues are impossible to miss, and they sit right near the top of the list of concerns after a night that should have felt a lot cleaner.
In Other News...
Suns Fans Forced To Revisit One Trade Regret And One Rare Triumph
For Suns fans, trade talk has a way of dragging up both the franchises brightest what-ifs and its biggest misfires. Phoenix has lived through enough roster swings over the years to know how one deal can change the trajectory of an era, and the Bradley Beal trade sits near the top of the regret list because of what the Suns gave up to get him.
Charles Barkley is the rare counterpoint in that history, the kind of move that can still make long-time fans smile. Arriving in 1992, he immediately changed the ceiling of the team and helped push Phoenix all the way to the NBA Finals the next year, a reminder that bold trades do not always end badly even if the modern memory tends to lean the other way. [Read more 🡒]
Booker Carried The Suns But This Win Still Raised Questions
Devin Booker made the home opener look easy for stretches, pouring in 43 points on 17-of-25 shooting to lead the Suns past a short-handed Warriors team, 131-122. Phoenix shot 58.1 percent from the field, pushed the pace effectively in transition and got useful support from Miles Bridges and Dillon Brooks, all of it enough to keep control against a Golden State group missing several key players, including Stephen Curry.
Still, the box score did not answer every question about where this team is headed. Booker was brilliant enough to cover a lot of ground, and DeAnthony Meltons 25 points kept the Warriors in the fight, but Phoenixs opening-night showing against depleted competition left room to wonder how the Suns will look when the challenge gets heavier and the matchups start to tighten up. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Suddenly Face Another Problem Grizzlies Fans Will Notice
Golden State is heading into its matchup with Memphis already thin, with the Warriors announcing that at least six players, including Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, will be unavailable because of injuries or recovery management. Draymond Green is doubtful, and Charles Bassey is questionable, leaving Steve Kerr with another roster puzzle at a time when availability has become just as important as form.
For the Suns, the picture is much cleaner. Most of Phoenixs roster is expected to be available, with only a few players listed out or questionable, which could matter if the game turns into the kind of late-season grind where depth decides the night. For a Grizzlies team watching both sides of the West picture, the contrast in injury reports is hard to miss. [Read more 🡒]