OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 3 (Ticker) -- Game-winning shots do not come much easier.

Penny Hardaway made an uncontested layup with 1.7 seconds remaining as the Phoenix Suns swept the season series from the Golden State Warriors with a 98-97 victory.

NBATV highlights from Suns-Warriors: 56k | 300k Penny Hardaway had plenty of room to drive in for the game-winning layup. Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty Images

The Warriors led by as many as 21 points in the second quarter but scored just 36 points after halftime and traded the lead with the Suns seven times in the final seven minutes.

Golden State took a 97-96 advantage on Larry Hughes' layup with 17 seconds left but played no defense on the game's final possession.

The Warriors gave a foul with six seconds left and the Suns inbounded to Bo Outlaw, a 44-percent free-throw shooter. Golden State did not foul Outlaw, who handed off to Stephon Marbury.

Marbury drove to the right baseline before dishing to a cutting Hardaway, who was not touched on his way to the basket and won the game with an easy layup.

"I knew I was going to get a good look at the bucket because on the play Stephon was supposed to drive and I told him I was going to slide up," Hardaway said. "Normally the guy stays in the corner but I slid up and all the momentum was going to the baseline. I knew I was going to have a little mid-range jumpshot or attack the basket and try to get a foul called and it opened up like the Red Sea."

"You assume somebody's going to step up and try to stop it but he was open the whole way," Phoenix coach Scott Skiles said. "He could have pulled up at any moment and shot it but he just kept going cause nobody stopped him."

Golden State did not have a timeout remaining and Bobby Sura missed a desperation from the opposire foul line as time expired.

Hardaway finished with 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting and Shawn Marion added 21 and 13 rebounds for Phoenix, which swept the season series from Golden State for the fourth time in six seasons.

The Suns have won 23 of their last 27 meetings with the Warriors, including the last five.

Marbury collected 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds and Jake Tsakalidis chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds as Phoenix held a 49-37 rebounding edge.

Antawn Jamison had 27 points and 10 rebounds and Hughes finished with 14 for the Warriors, who shot just 33 percent (14-of-42) in the second half and committed nine of their 11 turnovers after halftime.

"When you have a lead and you come out in the third quarter and play flat and unaggressive with no fire and you let a team back in the game you give them hope," Winters said. "Then you're in for a dogfight right down to the wire after you let that happen."

Jamison scored 14 points in the first quarter, when Golden State shot 59 percent (16-of-27). Danny Fortson scored eight of his 12 points in the opening period and the Warriors had a 37-20 cushion entering the second.

Golden State took its largest lead, 57-36, on a 3-pointer by rookie Jason Richardson with three minutes left in the first half. Erick Dampier's jumper made it 59-38 75 seconds later but Phoenix responded with a 34-13 run.

"We played extremely hard in the second half," Marbury said. "But we've got to play like that from the beginning. Sometimes it's not going to happen that way. Tonight those guys came out smoking."

Marion scored 12 points during the burst and tied the game, 72-72, on a basket with 3:09 left in the third quarter. The Warriors took a 79-77 lead into the fourth and neither team led by more than four points thereafter.

"The first half was probably one of our worst halves and the second half we held them to less points," Skiles said. "We played like we were alive and we were trying to win the game so it was a good win for us."