Warriors Burn Suns

By: Esteban Schear

​San Francisco - The Warriors were playing the Suns last night, but it was the Dubs that came out on fire, with Klay Thompson the chief flame-thrower.  Thompson scored 18 points in the first quarter on 7 for 9 shooting, and 4 three’s.  With Curry adding another 12, the Warriors were up 43-21 by the end of the quarter.  The entire team started the game with an intensity and speed on both ends of the floor that has been lacking most of the season.  

​The Warriors had good reason to play hard.  They entered the game with only 14 games left in the season, and only one-half game ahead of Minnesota, who are in the undesirable seventh spot, where two losses can disqualify you from the playoffs in the play-in tournament.  They were also only one-half game behind the Clippers, and two and one-half games behind Phoenix, so they also have a chance to reach the fifth or fourth spot if they finish well.  The Chase Center crowd seemed well aware of the importance of this game; they were alert, lively and loud from the opening jumpball.  

​Phoenix also would have liked this game. Sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference, they are at risk of losing home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs as they try to manage without the injured Kevin Duran.  They are also playing without Mikal Bridges, who was their best defender, and Cam Thomas, who both left the Suns in the Durant trade, and so their depth is lacking.  

​The Dubs maintained their hot-shooting and good defense throughout the first half, stretching their lead to 25 in the second quarter.  Led by Devin Booker, Phoenix finally turned on the gas the last part of the second quarter.  Booker’s offensive prowess was on full display, as he combined mid-range jump shots with unstoppable drives to score 17.  Deandre Ayton, Phoenix’s talented 24-year-old 7-foot center, was frequently able to shoot over the shorter Warriors and added 10 points.  But the two of them together were outscored by Thompson, who had 33 first half points on 12 for 18 shooting, including 8 for 12 on three’s.  It was the fifth 30-point half in Thompson’s career.  The Warriors had 20 assists in the first half, reflecting their superb passing and ball movement, and ended the half leading by 17, 75-58.  

​After the half-time break, Phoenix came out with a lot more energy.  The Suns have the fourth-leading defense in points allowed, and they played like a top defensive team in the early part of the third quarter, holding the Warriors to only 6 points in the first six minutes of the quarter.  Thompson did not score a point in the third.  Riding Booker and Ayton, the Suns were able climb back into the game, and were only three points behind the Dubs, 87-84, with 4 minutes left in the third.

​Everyone in the building began to wonder whether the Suns could end up winning the game, and the crowd picked up its intensity, as did the Warriors.  Led by Curry, the Warriors were able to finish the third up by 10 points.  In the fourth quarter, Jordan Poole had 10 points and more looked like the player who played so well in the play-offs last year, hitting a dagger three with five minutes to go in the game.  The Warriors ended up dominating the fourth and cruised to a 123-112 win.

​Other bright spots for the Warriors were the play of Iguodala and JaMychal Green.  In his eighth game of the season, Iggy looked much more fluid, and made one soaring reverse dunk that made him appear much younger than his 39 years of age.  JaMychal ended up with 9 points, 7 rebounds, and a couple of steals, continuing his solid play after an excellent game against Milwaukee, when he scored 18 points.  If J. Green can continue to hit open three’s, rebound and play solid defense, he would be an important asset in the playoffs.  

​The Suns and the Warriors could easily end up playing each other in the first round of the playoffs, in the 4-5 position.  If Durant is able to play, the Durant-Booker-Ayton combo will be extremely difficult to stop, and Durant will make Phoenix’s already excellent defense even better.  If Andrew Wiggins returns to the Warriors, they will have the same core group of players who won the championship last year, with Kevon Looney having his best year ever.  It could be a hell of a wonderful series.