Devin Booker scored 43 points on 17-of-25 shooting as the Phoenix Suns defeated a short-handed Golden State Warriors squad 131-122 on Saturday night at Mortgage Matchup Center, securing their first win of the season despite defensive lapses and a massive rebounding deficit.
Obviously, any win in this league you don’t take lightly. … It’s definitely a win that we needed,
Booker said after the victory, capturing the prevailing mood in the Phoenix locker room following an opening-night blowout loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Collin with the nutmeg 🫢 pic.twitter.com/St8VTIodcz
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Booker Carries Phoenix Past Depleted Warriors
The visiting Warriors arrived in Arizona on the second night of a back-to-back and their third game in four nights across three cities, playing without Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski, and Al Horford. Curry and Podziemski were set to miss the game after picking up injuries during a 111-108 collapse against the Memphis Grizzlies, leaving Golden State with just 11 active players.
The Suns had a Hall of Famer on the floor, the Warriors did not.On the skeleton crew Warriors and Lendeborg putting up a fight that ultimately did not go their way in Phoenix:https://t.co/LHzZFGPx2g
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Despite the talent disparity, Golden State stayed competitive behind a breakout performance from rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, who poured in a career-high 26 points and knocked down six three-pointers. Brandon Williams added 20 points and five assists, while De’Anthony Melton chipped in 25 points off the bench. But Booker proved uncontainable, scoring 17 of his points in a high-octane third quarter and shooting 58.1 percent from the field as a team to keep the Warriors at arm’s length.
Warriors and the Suns are battling in Phoenix LIVE on NBA TV 🍿Tap in @Suns vs. @warriors in NBA Gametime on Xhttps://t.co/WGFJylDA6E
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Rebounding Woes and Defensive Concerns for Suns
While the Suns walked away with the win, their performance exposed lingering flaws that head coach Jordan Ott and the roster acknowledged postgame. Golden State dominated the glass, seizing a 19-9 edge in offensive rebounds and turning those extra possessions into a 26-9 advantage in second-chance points. Interior hustle plays from Graham Ike, who tallied 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Charles Bassey, who added 10 points and seven rebounds, repeatedly punished Phoenix’s frontcourt.
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Once you have a reputation where teams can get offensive rebounds, everyone’s gonna start crashing on us.
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns guard
The defensive struggles compound an already rocky start for a Phoenix squad that surrendered 41 points to Portland in the opener. Although Booker carried the offense with 7 rebounds and 7 assists alongside his 43 points, the Suns’ inability to box out forced them into a much tighter contest than their shooting percentages suggested.
Hoops in Phoenix⁰🏀 GSW @ PHX🕖 7:00 pm PT📺 @NBCSAuthentic & @NBATV📻 @957thegame📱 https://t.co/0vjnnp569P #DubNation pic.twitter.com/lYpHZtjrk9
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Upcoming Road Trips for Both Teams
The Suns now head to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder squad that swept them in the playoffs a season ago. Meanwhile, the Warriors continue their grueling road swing, traveling to face the Denver Nuggets on Monday before taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.
DBOOK 40 BALL TO LEAD SUNS TO FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON 😮💨43 PTS (17-25 FG)7 REB 7 ASTWarriors fall to 0-3 😬 pic.twitter.com/62pcOyoR8D
–/wp:paragraph Both teams will look to find their rhythm and secure critical wins as they play these challenging series of away games against top contenders in the Western Conference.