The Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors are in a weird spot where this game feels bigger than a mid-December matchup, even if it’s not a marquee “statement” night on paper.
The Suns come in at 14-12, sitting 7th in the West, and they’ve been hanging around the playoff picture despite some lineup turbulence.
Devin Booker has basically been the entire offense when it matters, putting up 25.1 points and 6.7 assists per game, and the Suns have needed every bit of it. Mark Williams has quietly been huge too, leading the team at 8.3 rebounds per game while giving them a real interior anchor.
The Warriors are 13-14, 8th in the West, and they’re basically living on the edge every night. The biggest reason they’re not buried is Stephen Curry going full flamethrower, at 29.6 points per game on 48.4% from the field, and he’s coming off a 48-point explosion in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Injury Report
Warriors
Al Horford: Out (right sciatic nerve irritation)
Pat Spencer: Out (personal reasons)
Suns
Jalen Green: Out (right hamstring strain)
Koby Brea: Out (G League, two-way)
Grayson Allen: Questionable (right knee soreness)
Isaiah Livers: Questionable (right hip strain)
Jordan Goodwin: Available (jaw sprain, mask)
Quick context that matters here: Grayson Allen has been a regular starter for the Suns when active, so his status swings the entire spacing and “how do we guard Curry” conversation.
Why The Suns Have The Advantage
It starts with stability at the top. Booker is giving them reliable shot creation every night, and the Suns don’t have to beg for offense to exist. He’s not just scoring, he’s setting the table too, and that matters against a Warriors defense that can get chaotic when the game speeds up.
The Suns also have a cleaner path to winning the “normal” way, especially at home. They can run a real half-court game through Booker, then lean on Williams to clean up possessions.
Williams giving them 8.3 rebounds per game is not just some number; it’s how you survive the Curry avalanche. You miss shots, you give up long rebounds, and suddenly you’re down 12 in two minutes. The Suns need that second-chance and possession control angle to keep the game from turning into a track meet.
And if Grayson Allen plays, it gets even more important. He’s at 16.3 points per game and hits 39.2% from three, which is exactly the kind of “don’t help off me” gravity you need when Curry is forcing your defense to scramble on the other end. Plus, he leads the Suns at 1.7 steals per game, and that’s the sneaky way you steal a game like this, one or two live-ball turnovers that turn into quick points.
The other big swing is that the Suns know what they are without Jalen Green. He’s been out, and they’ve been building their rotation around it. This isn’t some sudden shock that changes their identity overnight; it’s just another night where the supporting guys have to hit shots and defend hard.
Why The Warriors Have The Advantage
It’s the simplest advantage in the league: the Warriors have Curry, and the Suns have to live through it.
He’s at 29.6 points per game, and the recent form is even scarier. That 48-point night against the Trail Blazers wasn’t empty calories either. It was one of those games where it felt like every possession could end in a triple. He’s been averaging 43.5 points over his last two games since returning from a quadriceps injury. When Curry gets into that “this is my gym” rhythm, the opponent’s game plan starts to look like a suggestion.
And it’s not just him anymore. The Warriors have actual secondary pressure. Jimmy Butler is putting up 19.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game on 51.0% from the field. Even when his scoring isn’t pretty, he can drag possessions into the paint, force whistles, and keep the Warriors from turning into a one-man show.
The other thing: the Warriors are getting more aggressive about rotation choices and roles. There’s been a lot of lineup shuffling, but the reporting around Jonathan Kuminga’s return to the rotation matters because he’s their best “athletic chaos” forward, and he leads the team in rebounds at 6.3 per game. If the Warriors can win the energy battle on the glass just enough, that’s when the Curry run becomes permanent.
Even with Al Horford out, the Warriors can still play their preferred style: switch, scrap, speed the game up, and trust Curry to make math unfair.
Suns vs. Warriors Prediction
This feels like a game that swings on two things.
First, the Suns’ perimeter availability. If Allen plays and looks close to normal, the Suns can actually punish the Warriors for over-helping, and they’ll have more bodies to throw at Curry. If Allen sits, the Suns’ margin gets thinner, because you’re asking Booker to be perfect while also surviving the Curry shooting contest.
Second, the Warriors’ shot profile. If Curry is hitting early, the whole game tilts. The Suns can be the more “balanced” team, the more traditional team, and still lose because one guy turns it into a three-point contest you didn’t agree to.
I’m taking the Warriors in a close one because Curry’s current heater looks real, and Golden State has enough extra juice with Butler to survive the stretches where Booker starts cooking.
Prediction: Warriors 118, Suns 113
