© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
OAKLAND — As far as matchups go, this was as lopsided as they come.
On Sunday evening, the Warriors welcomed the Phoenix Suns to Oracle Arena. The Suns entered the matchup on a 14-game losing streak and having lost 24 of the past 25 games.
The thought of winning, or even making Sunday night’s tilt even somewhat compelling, would have required a heroic effort, especially with leading score Devin Booker sidelined.
The Warriors defeated the Suns, 117-107, but the first half provided some surprising competition.
The Suns led the defending champion Warriors by 14 points more than halfway through the second quarter. Golden State looked uninspired and disinterested, carelessly throwing away the ball and abandoning the beautiful, all-inclusive type of basketball that has brought them so much success.
One play encapsulated it all. Leading 38-31 in the second quarter, Suns guard Danuel House —yes, Danuel House— threw the ball off the backboard to himself for a dunk.
The first half was a prime example that anything can happen in this league on any given night. At some point, the Warriors remembered who they are. And then it was over.
After trailing 47-33 with 5:34 remaining in the second quarter, Golden State went on a 23-9 run. The Warriors trailed by one point at halftime.
At that point, the momentum had swung, and any semblance of a close game was soon to be gone.
With three of their four All-Stars back from injury — Stephen Curry continues to rest a sprained left knee — the Warriors finally looked like themselves in the second half. They outscored the Suns 36-18 in the third quarter before coasting in the fourth.
Kevin Durant had his typical efficient performance, totaling 29 points on 12-19 shooting. Draymond Green made three of his five three-point attempts and finished with 12 assists. Klay Thompson added 23 points in his second game back from a thumb injury.
Most notably, point guard Quinn Cook continued his hot March. He scored 19 points, dished six assists, and ran the offense in spurts. Midway through the third quarter, Cook took the game over, despite the presence of three All-Stars alongside him. The Warriors led 73-69, then launched a 6-0 run largely dictated by Cook. Later in the quarter, Durant — the four-time NBA Scoring Champion — passed up a wide-open three to Cook, who pump-faked and drilled a mid-range jumper. Cook’s emergence has made him a legitimate rotational option when Curry returns.
If the Warriors treated the game the way they viewed the second half, this could have been a 30-point win.
Despite the wild mismatch, however, the Warriors’ slow start was understandable. Sunday evening’s game came one day after Patrick McCaw suffered what initially appeared to be a very serious injury in Sacramento. McCaw was escorted off the court on a stretcher after he was undercut during a layup attempt. Results came back clear on Sunday morning, much to the Warriors’ relief.
Golden State also has the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed locked up for the playoffs. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has reiterated that results don’t matter right now. Health takes precedence.
Despite these factors, Sunday night’s game was competitive — until the Warriors were the Warriors.