Jalen Green’s 36 points helped lift the Phoenix Suns into the playoffs with a 111-96 play-in win over the visiting Golden State Warriors on Friday.
The Suns earned the Western Conference’s eighth postseason seed. They will visit the defending champion and top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday to open a first-round series.
“Sometimes the road’s not always the one that you choose and think it’s going to happen or the one that’s most traveled, sometimes it’s the least traveled,” Phoenix coach Jordan Ott said. “We found our way in, now it’s on to the next thing.”
Phoenix scored 30 points off the Warriors’ 21 turnovers.
After Phoenix let a late lead slip away against the Portland Trail Blazers in the play-in opener, the Suns held on this time.
There was some late drama, though.
With the outcome already decided, Golden State’s Draymond Green fouled out with just more than a minute remaining. Warriors coach Steve Kerr shared a moment with Draymond Green and Stephen Curry, embracing both. The three were part of four NBA championship runs.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen. I still love coaching but I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date,” said Kerr, whose contract is up this summer. “There’s a run that happens and when the run ends, sometimes it’s time for new blood and new ideas and all that, and if that’s the case, then I will be just nothing but grateful for the most amazing opportunity any person could have to coach this franchise.”
As action resumed, Draymond Green and the Suns’ Devin Booker began a heated discussion that carried on for several moments before the whistle blew. Both players were issued two technical fouls and were ejected.
Phoenix jumped out to a big lead with a 13-0 run after the Warriors scored the game’s first two points, then closed the quarter with eight consecutive points to lead 33-15.
Golden State’s 15 first-quarter points were their fewest in a quarter since scoring 14 in the fourth quarter March 7 against the Thunder.
The Suns, who shot 52.4% in the first quarter, struggled in the second quarter as the Warriors roared back.
Phoenix was just 5 of 20 from the field in the second, and Golden State pulled within two on Curry’s free throws with 19.6 seconds remaining in the half.
As time ran down, Jalen Green elevated for a 3-pointer from the wing and drained it for the Suns’ first field goal in more than five minutes to give Phoenix a 50-45 lead at the break.
Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski scored 10 of his team-high 23 points in the second. He also led the Warriors with 10 rebounds.
The Suns used an 11-1 run — featuring two 3-pointers from Jalen Green — to regain control in the third quarter.
Booker finished with 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Phoenix’s Jordan Goodwin added 19 points, nine rebounds and six steals.
“Truly that group in the locker room’s been special all year and was special again in the last three or four days, overcoming the disappointment and coming out and playing that hard against a team that has every solution in the book,” Ott said. “… Sometimes it just comes down to toughness.”
Curry recorded 17 points in the loss but was just 4 of 16 from the floor and 3 of 10 from 3-point range. De’Anthony Melton added 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
–Field Level Media
