Steph Curry bounces back, Warriors rout Durant-less Suns
PHOENIX – With tricky layups, sky-scraping threes and even one improbable flip shot that wowed the home crowd with the clock stopped at PHX Arena in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday night, Steph Curry shook off his nightmare performance against Houston.
After shooting 1-for-10 and scoring only three points in Sunday’s streak-snapping loss to the Rockets, Curry, and the rest of the Warriors team, found a half-checked-out Suns team without former Warriors star Kevin Durant (ankle) to be a far less rugged challenge in a 133-95 victory.
Curry led the Warriors with 25 points and sat out the fourth quarter, while Brandin Podziemski scored 22, the fourth game in a row that the Santa Clara alum had at least 19 points.
Jimmy Butler flashed his all-around skillset by scoring 10, grabbing two rebounds and dishing out three assists. Devin Booker led Phoenix with 21 points.
Golden State (47-32) kept pace with the Grizzlies and Denver, which both have 47-32 records. Minnesota (46-33) lost to Milwaukee and tumbled in the standings.
Phoenix dropped to 35-44, and will need Dallas to lose out to make the No. 10 seed.
Phoenix defended – although that could be too strong a word for the effort the Suns showed – with all of the aplomb of a team that looked like it was just ready for its nightmare season to end while losing its seventh straight.
The Warriors got any shot they wanted, often several times on the same possession after Phoenix gave up 19 offensive rebounds, and led 69-43 at halftime. Golden State’s biggest lead was 41.
Golden State improved to 15-1 with the starting lineup of Draymond Green, Moses Moody, Curry, Podziemski and Butler.
With Durant not playing, the shorthanded Suns had their hands full against a Warriors team that has now won five consecutive road games.
Curry scored 13 points in the first quarter, setting the tone for the rest of the night. He looked more like the flamethrower who had scored 125 points in wins against Memphis, Los Angeles Lakers and Denver, than the frustrated point guard who was smothered by Houston’s Amen Thompson.
Trayce Jackson-Davis got his first significant action since January and delivered, throwing down a couple of lob dunks and scoring 13 points overall
The Warriors kept the pressure on Phoenix in the second half, with Moody throwing down a dunk in transition and Butler jamming in a two-hander against less than stiff resistance. Golden State led 95-61 after three quarters and emptied the bench in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors travel back to the Bay Area for a Wednesday night game against San Antonio, which will be without stars Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox as well as legendary coach Gregg Popovich.