The Warriors improved to 17-0 after earning a 135-116 road victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
The Warriors improved to 17-0 after earning a 135-116 road victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. Stephen Curry led Golden State’s three-point barrage, notching a season-high nine treys on his way to a game-high 41 points. Leandro Barbosa and Klay Thompson also scored in double figures, while Draymond Green recorded a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Next up, the Warriors will return home to take on the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night in the second game of a back-to-back.
GAME LEADERS
The Warriors apparently got all the tryptophan out of their system prior to the game, as they came storming out of the gates in a contest they ultimately led from start to finish. Golden State accumulated assists on each of their first eight baskets, all within the first six minutes, to streak out to an early lead. Despite the fact that the Suns held their own on the offensive end, shooting 54.5 percent from the field in the opening quarter, they found themselves in a large hole early, thanks in large part to an impressive offensive display by the Warriors. Golden State shot 15-of-23 from the field and 9-of-12 from three-point land on their way to 44 points in the opening frame, equaling the most points scored in any quarter by any team in the NBA this season. Curry led the charge with 19 points and eight assists in the opening quarter, as the Dubs found themselves leading 44-27 after one.
The second quarter followed a similar pattern as the first, as the Suns continued to shoot the ball well, but the Warriors shot it even better. Phoenix shot 58.3 percent (14-of-24) from the floor in the second frame, and yet, Golden State managed to increase their lead. After the Suns had cut the deficit to 10 points with just over two minutes remaining in the first half, the Dubs closed out the second quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 75-57 lead into halftime. Golden State’s 75 points tied the NBA-high for most points in a half this season, and Curry’s three-pointer with 34.9 seconds left marked the 15th trey for Golden State in the half, setting a new NBA record. If anything, the lead could have been considerably larger, as the Dubs struggled from the free throw line in the first half, shooting only 6-of-15 (40.0%) from the stripe.
After Phoenix had opened the second half on a 6-2 run, Harrison Barnes suffered an ankle injury that forced him to be removed from the game. Eric Bledsoe sank a three-pointer for the Suns on the next possession to cut the deficit to 11, but the Warriors did not wilt without their starting small forward. Following that Bledsoe three-pointer, Golden State actually managed to outscore Phoenix by 11 points through the remainder of the third quarter to push their lead to 103-81. Curry scored the final 14 of his 41 points in that third frame, which turned out to be the last of his playing time on the evening, as he sat the entire fourth quarter with the Warriors holding such a large lead.
Leandro Barbosa opened the fourth quarter on fire, sinking his first three shots , including two three-pointers, all within the first two minutes. Barbosa would total 13 points in the closing frame on his way to 21 points in the game, his first 20-point effort as a member of the Warriors. Brandon Rush’s three-pointer with 2:20 left in the contest marked the 22nd three-pointer of the game for Golden State, which set a new franchise record. Festus Ezeli would score the Warriors’ final two points of the night to push their game total to 135, the most points they’ve scored in a game this season. The victory improves the Warriors’ record to 17-0, and marks their 21st-consecutive regular season victory dating back to last season, making them the fourth team in NBA history to win 21-or-more straight games. They’ll look to keep the good times rolling when they host the Sacramento Kings at Oracle Arena on Saturday night in the second game of a back-to-back.