Golden State Warriors get back on track, defeat the Phoenix Suns

The Golden State Warriors got contributions from multiple players to regain their championship form in beating the Phoenix Suns for their third win of the season

Before the season began, the only question regarding the Golden State Warriors was how seriously would they take the regular season. Given that they could sleepwalk into the playoffs, could they find the motivation to earn a one or two seed?

Then the season began, and the Warriors found themselves scuffling in their first three games. In the season opener, the Oklahoma City Thunder, playing without Russell Westbrook, were a tougher out than the Warriors expected. Golden State was able to pull away late in the fourth quarter for the win.

The second game was in Utah, where the Warriors lost two games to the Utah Jazz last year by a combined 70 points. This time, the Warriors had to withstand a barrage of Jazz three-point shots in an unreal second quarter that saw Utah make 10 three-pointers and score a total of 47 points.

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The Warriors trailed almost the entire game before forward Jonas Jerebko tipped in a Kevin Durant miss for the win as time expired.

Against the Denver Nuggets, the Warriors once again fell behind and trailed most of the second half. A furious rally fell short and the Nuggets held on for the two-point win, as Damian Jones‘ dunk was blocked at the end of the game.

While a 2-1 start was nothing to worry about, the Warriors were not looking like a championship team, and needed to make adjustments. Stephen Curry was playing well, scoring at least 30 points in each of the first three games for the first time in his career.

However, fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson has started off the season ice cold, going 2-for-16 from three-point range and shooting 36% overall. Even Kevin Durant, while averaging 28 points per game, was only 1-for-10 on his three-point shots.

Besides below-average shooting, the Warriors were frequently in foul trouble. In two of the first three games, the Warriors were called for 29 fouls. The refs have been calling fouls away from the ball as a point of emphasis this year, and the Warriors were slow to adjust.

The Warriors have also been sloppy with the ball, averaging 18 turnovers per game.

Against the Phoenix Suns, the Warriors were able to make the adjustments and regained their shooting touch to win easily, 123-103. Golden State scored 38 points in the second quarter and went up 70-47 halftime, and Phoenix never threatened in the second half.

Curry continued his strong play as he appears to be making a push for MVP this year. Against the Suns, Curry scored 29 points and dished out eight assists. Curry also made six three-pointers, which puts him right behind Jamal Crawford for fifth place in career three pointers.

Durant contributed 22 points on 9-17 shooting. Thompson’s shooting improved somewhat as he scored 16 points on 6-14 shooting. Thompson suffered a mild ankle sprain in the second half and sat the rest of the game.

The good news for the Golden State Warriors came in the form of scoring from the role players.

Center Damian Jones looked good from the beginning, getting easy lob dunks in the first quarter and playing good defense against the Suns’ number one draft pick Deandre Ayton. Jones made all five of his shot attempts and finished with a career-high 13 points. Jerebko also contributed 13 points as he’s starting to look more comfortable in the Warriors offense. Jerebko connected on three three-pointers and played within the flow of the offense.

Alfonzo McKinnie has gotten more playing time and has made the most of his opportunity. McKinnie played 18 minutes, contributing 10 points and seven rebounds. Kevon Looney continues to play solidly, making an impact on the game on both offense and defense.

Thompson’s slow start a cause for concern. dark. Next

The Warriors will be taking the momentum from this win into Wednesday’s matchup, when they host the Washington Wizards.

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