Warriors 116-113 Suns: a win built on 8:29 of lead and 12-9 offensive rebounds

Highlights

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Eight minutes and 29 seconds. That is the entire time the Golden State Warriors held the lead. Phoenix owned the front for 34:16 and stretched the margin to 17, yet it was the Suns who walked out of Chase Center beaten, 116-113.

The opening half belonged to the visitors: 31-19 in the first quarter, 57-51 at the break. Golden State answered with the loudest 12 minutes of the night — 42 points to 36 in the third — and the teams reached the fourth tied at 93. The Warriors' longest run was 12 straight points against Phoenix's best burst of nine; the home side's surge landed harder, and a 23-20 fourth quarter closed it out.

None of the usual yardsticks pointed at the winner. The Suns finished ahead in assists, 28-23, in steals, 11-7, and in blocks, 5-2 — and it bought them nothing. The difference lived on the glass, where the home side kept the trade one-way.

Twelve of Golden State's rebounds came at the offensive end against nine — extra possessions in a game decided by three.

The finish belonged to Stephen Curry: 34 points, six rebounds, seven assists, plus-21 against Devin Booker's minus-18 — a 39-point swing between the two point guards. Then came the squeeze: Oso Ighodaro's basket cut it to 113-110, Jalen Green's two brought it inside one at 113-112, and Curry answered from the line, 114-112, then 115-112. Green's free throw trimmed it to 115-113, and Curry's final make fixed the closing number at 116-113. Three free throws, three makes.

Devin Booker led Phoenix with 26 points, Miles Bridges scored 21 with four steals, Dillon Brooks added 18 with eight rebounds. Brandin Podziemski's 20 and Yaxel Lendeborg's 16 points, five rebounds and five assists backed Curry up.

Phoenix took the style stats; Golden State kept the one that ends up in the standings — a seven-point ceiling, a 12-9 count on second chances, and three free throws when it counted.