The Phoenix Suns on Tuesday shrugged off an early injury to Devin Booker to extend their winning streak to 17 games with a 104-96 victory over the pace-setting Golden State Warriors.
The much-anticipated showdown between the NBA’s two best teams did not disappoint as Phoenix shut down Stephen Curry with a superb defensive effort.
The victory vaulted Phoenix to the top of the Western Conference alongside Golden State.
Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY
Phoenix and Golden State now lead the Western Conference with 18 wins and three defeats each.
The Suns’ victory was all the more impressive given that star shooting guard Booker departed with a hamstring injury in the second quarter.
With Booker absent, it was left to veteran Chris Paul to shepherd the Suns over the line in the second half.
Paul finished with 15 points, 11 assists and six rebounds.
DeAndre Ayton led the Suns with 24 points and 11 rebounds, but it was Phoenix’s defense that proved the difference, restricting the Warriors scorers to just 18 points in the fourth quarter.
“We’re an improving defensive team for sure,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “To me this was just will and toughness ... our guys just willed themselves to victory.”
In other games, it was:
‧ Kings 92, Lakers 117
‧ Nets 112, Knicks 110
‧ Pistons 92, Trail Blazers 110
‧ Raptors 91, Grizzlies 98
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