The Golden State Warriors snapped their three-game losing streak and improved to 16-15 on the season with a stunning 109-105 win over the Phoenix Suns at Chase Center. The Warriors have lost one too many games due to fourth-quarter collapses but it was their turn to benefit from one in Phoenix, as the Suns fell apart down the stretch.
Jonathan Kuminga led the way for the Warriors here with 34 points (12-20 FG), nine rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Stephen Curry, meanwhile, had 22 points (9-22 FG), six rebounds, six assists, and a steal on his return after missing their last game against the Los Angeles Clippers due to bilateral knee injury management. Draymond Green also missed that clash and had a strong showing here with 16 points (6-9 FG), eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and a block.
For the Suns, Kevin Durant had 31 points (10-24 FG), six rebounds, three assists, and four blocks while Bradley Beal put up 28 points (12-24 FG), five rebounds, two assists, a steal, and two blocks. Both stars struggled in the fourth quarter, however, with Beal even passing up a chance at tying the game late with three by opting for a contested shot at the rim. It was a puzzling decision and summed up the night for the Suns, who have now dropped to 15-16.
Let’s now look at some of the key factors that led to the Warriors beating the Suns.
The Warriors Dominated In The Fourth Quarter
The Warriors seemed down and out when the Suns were up 100-91 with six minutes left in the game. It looked like we were about to witness another fourth-quarter disaster class from them, but they managed to flip the script.
The Warriors went on an 18-5 run to close out the game and come away with an unlikely win. While the offense came to life at times, it was the defense that got them over the line here, as they held the Suns to just 18 points in the fourth quarter.
The Suns were limited to just 4-21 (19%) shooting from the field in the fourth. They did not even score a field goal in the final 6:48 of this contest, as they struggled to find any solutions against the Warriors’ defense.
Another area the Warriors dominated in the fourth was on the glass. They managed to secure seven offensive rebounds in the period compared to just one for the Suns and those extra possessions sure didn’t hurt their cause.
Jonathan Kuminga Continues To Shine
Kuminga struggled with consistency at the start of the season for the Warriors but is now playing some of the best basketball of his career. He had a game-high 34 points but more importantly, came up big when it mattered most.
Kuminga came somewhat close to outscoring the Suns by himself in the fourth quarter, as he had 13 points, five rebounds, one assist, and one steal in the period. He hit some huge clutch free throws down the stretch and is showing why the Warriors were so hesitant to part with him the last few years.
This was Kuminga’s second straight 34-point game and he is now averaging 27.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game over his last four outings. The 22-year-old was arguably the lone bright spot for the Warriors during that losing streak and it was good to see his efforts be rewarded with a win here.
It will be interesting to see if this is the new norm for Kuminga or just another false dawn. If he plays anywhere near as well as he has in these four games, the Warriors might be able to make some noise this season.
Kevin Durant’s Turnovers And Fourth Quarter Struggles
Durant was arguably the best player on the court after three quarters in this contest but came up woefully short in the fourth. The 14-time All-Star failed to make a field goal in the quarter, with all of his three points coming from the line.
While that would have been bad enough, Durant also had three costly turnovers in the fourth. That gave the 36-year-old eight for the game and that’s too many turnovers. This is the second time in five games that Durant had eight turnovers and he needs to start taking better care of the ball.
The rest of the Suns had just five turnovers and if Durant had been more careful with the ball, they might have come away with a win here. This defeat made it seven losses in the last 10 games for the Suns and their incredible 9-2 start to the season seems like a distant memory now.
The Suns might be set for another loss in their next game too, as they take on the 22-10 Memphis Grizzlies at Footprint Center on Tuesday at 9 PM ET. As for the Warriors, they have an even harder assignment as they face the 27-4 Cleveland Cavaliers at Chase Center on Monday at 10 PM ET.
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