PHOENIX — Jalen Green poured in 36 points, Devin Booker added 20 and the Phoenix Suns neutralized Stephen Curry as they defeated the Golden State Warriors 111-96 in the NBA play-in tournament Friday night.
The victory gave Phoenix the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference and a first-round matchup with defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder that begins Sunday. Golden State’s season ended.
Green was extremely efficient, hitting 14 of 20 shots and drilling 8 of 14 from beyond the arc. Guard Jordan Goodwin made a major impact on both ends, finishing with 19 points, nine rebounds and six steals.
The night was a personal rebound for Green after a difficult seven-game meeting with the Warriors last season while he was with Houston, when he averaged 13.3 points and shot 37% from the field. “I remember what they did last year. … There’s a lesson in every situation,” Green said. “It’s never failure. You always get back up. So, I for sure brought some of that energy from last year into tonight’s game, and we capitalized. I’m happy about it.”
Late in the fourth quarter Booker and Golden State’s Draymond Green were assessed technical fouls following a verbal exchange and were ejected.
Curry, 38, struggled to get clean looks and finished with 17 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with 23 points.
Phoenix led by five at halftime and extended the margin to 69-53 with 5:12 remaining in the third after a Royce O’Neale fast-break layup. The Suns pushed the advantage to 85-72 with 10:12 left in the fourth.
There were reasons for worry late: Phoenix had blown an 11-point fourth-quarter lead in a loss to Portland earlier in the week, while Golden State had rallied from down 13 in the fourth to beat the Clippers, setting up this winner-take-all matchup.
“Obviously, Tuesday night was emotional for everyone how it ended, but I think that’s what we’ve done all year,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said. “I think the group that’s in that locker room has a ton of resilience and wants to do things different. … Sometimes, the road’s not always the one that you choose … or the one that’s most traveled. Sometimes, it’s the least traveled. So, we found our way in. Now, it’s on to the next thing.”
The Warriors made a push after Curry hit a 3 that trimmed the lead to 85-78 with 9:30 remaining, but Phoenix answered by scoring the next seven points to quell the threat. The Suns also avoided becoming the first team to lose both play-in games at home since the format began in 2021.
Kristaps Porzingis, dealing with right ankle soreness from an earlier injury, played 15 minutes and scored 11 points.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.