The Golden State Warriors struggled to find their rhythm Friday night, falling 130-105 to the Phoenix Suns in a lopsided defeat. Stephen Curry had an uncharacteristically quiet night, failing to score until midway through the second quarter and finishing with just 14 points on 1-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc.
Golden State, fresh off an impressive win over Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City, failed to carry over any momentum as the Suns pulled away early and never looked back. Moses Moody provided a bright spot off the bench with 17 points, while Brandin Podziemski knocked down four 3-pointers to help keep the Warriors afloat.
However, outside of their contributions, Golden State struggled mightily from deep, shooting just 16-for-44 from 3-point range. Kevon Looney, playing through a broken nose, donned a protective mask and grabbed eight rebounds, while Quinten Post made his second straight start, finishing with nine points and eight boards.
The Warriors found themselves in trouble late in the first half when Phoenix took control behind Devin Booker’s stellar play. Booker, who finished with 31 points and 11 assists, delivered a highlight-reel moment when he fired a three-quarter court bounce pass to Grayson Allen for an alley-oop dunk, sparking a Suns surge that put them ahead 62-51 at halftime.
From there, Phoenix never let up, handing Golden State a frustrating loss as the Warriors continued to search for consistency in a competitive Western Conference race. Let’s provide a grade for every Warriors player.
Moses Moody: B
Stats: 17 PTS, 6 REB (1 OREB, 5 DREB), 1 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 1 PF, 5-10 FG, 4-7 3PT, 3-5 FT, -6, 24 MIN
Moses Moody was a bright spot off the bench, providing scoring efficiency and energy. His 4-of-7 shooting from deep and 5-10 from the field overall helped keep Golden State competitive early, but his overall impact was limited in a blowout loss. As a result, we can’t give Moody a higher than a B.
Andrew Wiggins: B-
Stats: 17 PTS, 8 REB (5 OREB, 3 DREB), 6 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 0 TO, 1 PF, 6-20 FG, 1-5 3PT, 4-5 FT, -26, 31 MIN
Andrew Wiggins contributed across the board, but his shooting inefficiency (6-of-20) was a glaring issue. While he rebounded well and played solid defense, his -26 plus/minus reflects his struggles in keeping the Warriors afloat. His presence all around the court was still decent enough for a B- grade.
Brandin Podziemski: C+
Stats: 14 PTS, 3 REB (0 OREB, 3 DREB), 3 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 3 TO, 2 PF, 5-9 FG, 4-7 3PT, 0-0 FT, -6, 22 MIN
Brandin Podziemski was efficient from three, hitting 4-of-7, but had three turnovers and didn’t contribute much outside of scoring. While his shooting was a positive, his defense and ball security needed improvement and he failed to make an impact in those areas against a hot-shooting Suns team.
Stephen Curry: C+
Stats: 14 PTS, 3 REB (1 OREB, 2 DREB), 3 AST, 0 STL, 2 BLK, 2 TO, 1 PF, 5-14 FG, 1-6 3PT, 3-3 FT, -18, 31 MIN
Superstar Stephen Curry had an uncharacteristically quiet night, failing to score until the second quarter. He struggled from beyond the arc (1-of-6) and didn’t exert his usual offensive dominance. The Suns’ defense made it tough for him to get going and the point guard’s presence was not as strong as we have come to expect.
Buddy Hield: C+
Stats: 13 PTS, 3 REB (0 OREB, 3 DREB), 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 3 TO, 2 PF, 5-7 FG, 3-5 3PT, 0-0 FT, -9, 19 MIN
Hield was one of the few efficient scorers for Golden State, hitting 5-of-7 from the field. However, his three turnovers and defensive lapses limited his effectiveness in preventing Phoenix’s offensive runs. Hield only earned 19 minutes tonight and his impact came and went, meaning he gets a C+.
Quinten Post: C
Stats: 9 PTS, 8 REB (3 OREB, 5 DREB), 2 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 0 TO, 2 PF, 3-9 FG, 2-4 3PT, 1-1 FT, -17, 19 MIN
Post showed promise as a starter, contributing on the boards and stretching the floor with two three-pointers. However, he struggled defensively and shot below 35% from the field, making his overall impact neutral.
Dennis Schroder: C
Stats: 5 PTS, 6 REB (1 OREB, 5 DREB), 5 AST, 4 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO, 4 PF, 2-8 FG, 1-5 3PT, 0-2 FT, -13, 21 MIN
Schroder’s defensive energy stood out, racking up four steals, but his offensive struggles (2-of-8 FG, 0-of-2 FT) limited his effectiveness. He facilitated well with five assists but couldn’t provide the needed scoring punch.
Gui Santos: C
Stats: 5 PTS, 1 REB (0 OREB, 1 DREB), 2 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 2 PF, 1-3 FG, 0-1 3PT, 3-4 FT, -4, 19 MIN
Gui Santos had a low-impact game, contributing minimally in scoring and rebounding. His ability to draw fouls (3-of-4 FT) was a slight positive, but his overall presence was not game-changing.
Kyle Anderson: C
Stats: 4 PTS, 2 REB (1 OREB, 1 DREB), 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 0 PF, 2-3 FG, 0-1 3PT, 0-0 FT, -7, 12 MIN
Kyle Anderson played limited minutes but was efficient offensively, making both of his two-point attempts. However, he didn’t impact the game in other areas and he joins a long list of forgettable performances on Friday night.
Gary Payton II: C
Stats: 3 PTS, 3 REB (0 OREB, 3 DREB), 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 1 PF, 1-6 FG, 0-1 3PT, 1-2 FT, -11, 12 MIN
Payton struggled offensively, missing five of his six shots. He brought effort defensively, but his poor shooting limited his role in the game, and had a forgettable performance overall.
Kevon Looney: C
Stats: 2 PTS, 4 REB (1 OREB, 3 DREB), 1 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 3 PF, 1-2 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-1 FT, -1, 15 MIN
Kevon Looney played through a broken nose but had minimal impact outside of a couple of rebounds. His defensive presence wasn’t enough to slow down Phoenix’s offense and he did not earn enough minutes as a result of these factors.
Trayce Jackson-Davis: N/A
Stats: 2 PTS, 1 REB (1 OREB, 0 DREB), 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 0-2 FG, 0-0 3PT, 2-2 FT, -6, 9 MIN
Trayce Jackson-Davis played limited minutes and didn’t have much opportunity to contribute. He does not get a grade for his performance on Friday night as a result.
Lindy Waters III: N/A
Stats: 0 PTS, 1 REB (0 OREB, 1 DREB), 0 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 0-3 FG, 0-2 3PT, 0-0 FT, -1, 6 MIN
Waters barely saw the floor and missed all three of his shot attempts. Considering he only played six minutes, he does not get a grade for his performance.
