Phoenix had the game in its preferred shape late Monday: a 106-104 lead, 48 points in the paint and enough interior scoring to make Golden State work for every inch. The Suns still left Chase Center with a 116-113 loss because the rest of the scoring ledger kept leaning the other way.
The Phoenix Suns made four more field goals than the Warriors, 40 to 36. They won the paint battle by six points and received a flawless 6-for-6 shooting night from Oso Ighodaro, who finished with 14 points. Those are substantial advantages in a game decided by three points.
They were also insufficient against a nine-point deficit at the foul line and a closing stretch in which Phoenix could not convert often enough to protect its lead.
The Suns took the lead early. The Suns led 31-19 after the first quarter and held a 57-51 advantage at halftime. Ighodaro’s finishing helped, while Devin Booker mixed scoring with five assists and made all eight of his free throws. Miles Bridges added 21 points, six rebounds and three 3-pointers, giving Phoenix another source of points outside the paint.
Golden State’s response arrived through Stephen Curry’s third quarter. Curry scored 18 in that period, including four 3-pointers, a layup and a pull-up jumper. Phoenix reached a 73-64 lead during the quarter, but Curry kept slicing into it until the Warriors tied the game at 93 entering the fourth.
That stretch changed the terms of the evening: Phoenix’s efficient two-point work was still there, but Golden State had made its perimeter scoring impossible to ignore.
The Warriors also collected points with far greater regularity at the stripe. Golden State went 31-for-37 on free throws; Phoenix went 22-for-30. Jalen Green’s 1-for-6 night was particularly costly in a three-point game, though Booker’s perfect mark kept the Suns from losing even more ground there.
The free-throw gap overcame Phoenix’s edge in points from field goals, while the 13-11 edge in Golden State’s 3-point makes supplied another small counterweight.
Phoenix did answer after falling behind early in the fourth. Miles Bridges’ 3-pointer made it 100-104 with 7:22 remaining, Green’s driving layup cut the margin to two, and his tip-in dunk tied the game at 104 with 6:21 left. Those possessions reflected the Suns’ best quality: they could still create points near the basket and recover from a deficit without relying entirely on long-range shooting.
Then came the possession that briefly put the game in Phoenix’s hands. Dillon Brooks’ jumper gave the Suns a 106-104 edge with 5:29 remaining. Charles Bassey tied it at the foul line, Georges Niang’s 3-pointer moved Golden State ahead 109-106, and Booker answered with a driving floater.
