Suns Let One Slip in San Francisco Despite Booker's 38-Point Night
The Suns had every reason to feel confident heading into Saturday night’s rematch with the Warriors. Just two nights earlier, they’d edged Golden State in a tight one.
Devin Booker was in rhythm, the offense was humming early, and Draymond Green was ejected before halftime. But in a game that felt like it was theirs for the taking, Phoenix couldn’t stay out of its own way-and it cost them.
Despite a scorching 44-point first quarter and another explosive performance from Booker, the Suns unraveled in the middle quarters and came up short, falling to the Warriors in a frustrating finish at Chase Center.
Let’s break down how a promising start turned into a missed opportunity.
First Quarter Fireworks, Then a Fade
Phoenix came out like a team on a mission. The ball was moving, the shots were falling, and Booker was in full command.
He dropped 11 points and dished out four assists in the opening frame, orchestrating an offense that looked smooth and confident. The Suns shot 17-of-24 from the field and went 6-of-10 from deep in the quarter, capped off by a buzzer-beating three from Dillon Brooks to give them a 44-32 lead.
Jordan Goodwin knocked down a pair of threes, Oso Ighodaro brought energy with a couple of emphatic slams, and the Suns looked like they were ready to run away with it.
Then came the turning point.
Draymond’s Early Exit Doesn’t Derail Warriors
With just under 11 minutes left in the second quarter, Draymond Green was ejected after shoving Collin Gillespie and continuing to jaw at the officials. It was the kind of moment that could’ve tilted the game in Phoenix’s favor-especially with Golden State already thin up front.
But instead of capitalizing, the Suns started to slip.
The Warriors leaned into the whistle, drawing contact and getting to the line. Phoenix, meanwhile, got caught flat-footed.
The foul disparity in the second quarter was glaring: the Suns were whistled nine times, compared to just four for Golden State. That led to a 12-4 free throw advantage for the Warriors in the period.
Even when Phoenix forced turnovers-they converted 13 first-half giveaways into 16 points-they couldn’t fully cash in. And then came a brutal sequence to end the half: Dillon Brooks fouled De’Anthony Melton on a three-point attempt with 0.4 seconds left, and after Melton missed the third free throw, Will Richard snuck in for a buzzer-beating tip-in.
What should’ve been a double-digit lead was trimmed to 67-64 at the break.
Third-Quarter Collapse
Whatever rhythm Phoenix had early vanished in the third. The defense looked disorganized from the jump-Jimmy Butler strolled in for an uncontested dunk to open the half-and head coach Jordan Ott burned a timeout just minutes in.
The Suns couldn’t buy a bucket. They shot just 5-of-21 from the field in the quarter, including 2-of-10 from three.
That’s 23.8% shooting in a period where Golden State steadily took control. The Warriors outscored Phoenix 29-20 in the third, flipping the game and taking a 93-87 lead into the fourth.
The physicality-or lack thereof-continued to be a theme. Even light contact drew whistles, but it was Phoenix that hit the bonus first.
Still, the choppy pace didn’t help. The Suns thrive on flow, and this game had none.
Late Push Falls Short
The fourth quarter was a rollercoaster. Phoenix looked disjointed early-turnovers, offensive fouls, and missed assignments piled up. The Warriors built an 11-point cushion, and it felt like the game might slip away entirely.
But Booker had other ideas.
He poured in 12 points in the final frame, dragging the Suns back into it possession by possession. Phoenix cut the deficit to two with just over a minute left. Then came a critical sequence: Oso Ighodaro committed a costly foul on Jimmy Butler, who converted the and-one to push the lead back to five.
Booker responded with an and-one of his own, keeping the Suns within striking distance.
Collin Gillespie had a clean look at a go-ahead three with under 24 seconds left-it was a good shot, it just didn’t fall. Forced to foul, the Suns sent Stephen Curry to the line, and he did what he always does: knock down clutch free throws.
Gillespie answered with a tough fallaway three to cut it to one with under 10 seconds left, but Curry broke free for a layup on the next possession-despite Phoenix clearly trying to foul-and the Suns were left needing a miracle.
They didn’t get one.
On the final possession, down three with 5.7 seconds to go, Phoenix couldn’t even get a clean look. A fumbled play ended in a wasted opportunity, and the Warriors escaped with the win.
By the Numbers
- Devin Booker: 38 points, 5 assists - carried the offense all night, but didn’t get enough help late.
- Dillon Brooks: 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting - efficient and aggressive, but his late foul stung.
- Warriors Bench: Outscored the Suns’ bench 52-31 - Will Richard’s 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting (4-of-4 from three) was a game-changer.
- Rebounding: Warriors 48, Suns 35 - the absence of Draymond didn’t slow Golden State on the glass.
- Team Record: The loss drops Phoenix to 15-13 on the season.
Final Thoughts
This one will sting for Phoenix. Not because they were outclassed, but because they let it slip. The Suns had control early, got a gift with Draymond’s ejection, and still couldn’t keep their foot on the gas.
Booker was brilliant, but the team’s inability to rebound, execute in crunch time, and adjust to the officiating doomed them. Against a team like the Warriors-still dangerous even when undermanned-you can’t afford that many self-inflicted wounds.
Now at 15-13, the Suns head back to the drawing board. The talent is there.
The execution? Still a work in progress.