The Warriors squared off with the Phoenix Suns in Saturday’s Christmas Day matchup to earn a 116-107 win in the holiday contest.
While the Warriors came out strong from the start, the Phoenix Suns made a push in the second quarter to take the halftime lead 62-58. Though unable to gain much separation in the third quarter, the Dubs used a 13-4 sprint in the fourth frame to run away from the Suns and ultimately earn a Chirstmas Day win on the road.
With the victory, the Warriors snap the Suns’ 15-game home winning streak and take a NBA-best 27-6 record on the season.
TEAM LEADERS
FIRST QUARTER FIRE
It was a tightly contested matchup from the opening tip, with the Dubs recording 10 assists, five steals and 61.9 percent from the field in the first quarter. The squad brought the energy, scoring six quick points in the opening minute of the contest and maintaining the lead throughout the first frame.
30 FOR 30 AGAIN
Stephen Curry recorded 11 points in the first frame, finishing with a game-high 33 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals going 10-for-27 from the field and 5-for-16 from 3-point range. The sharpshooter has recorded 30-plus points in 13 games so far this season and is one 3-pointer shy of becoming the first player in NBA history to make 3,000 career 3-pointers.
COLLECTIVE CONTRIBUTIONS
There were contributions across the roster in Saturday’s win with Draymond Green setting the squad up for success, dishing out 10 assists, eight points, eight rebounds and three steals. Gary Payton II pushed the pace on both sides of the ball, tallying 14 points and shooting 6-for-8 from the field. Nemanja Bjelica posted 10 points off the bench while Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga added 12 points going 3-for-4 from the field.
PORTER’S CHIRSTMAS DAY CLOSE OUT
Otto Porter Jr. made his second appearance as a starter for the Warriors, finishing with 19 points and six rebounds in the feat. Porter recorded 10 points in the the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, with the forward’s perfomance highlighted by a series of clutch shots to stretch the Dubs’ lead to nine in the final frame. Porter has recorded at least one steal over the last three straight games.
Up next: After earning a Christmas Day victory in the valley, the Warriors return home to host the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday (NBCSBA, 7 p.m.).
More Notables:
- Golden State improved to 11-4 on the road, tied for the most road wins by any team this season.
- For the ninth-consecutive year the Warriors played on Christmas Day, the longest streak in franchise history.
- Golden State has its best record after 33 games since 2016-17 when they started 28-5.