Durant’s 37 lifts Warriors past pesky Suns
PHOENIX, AZ – OCTOBER 30: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after scoring against the Phoenix Suns during the second half of the NBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on October 30, 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Warriors defeated the Suns, 106 -100. Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP
PHOENIX — Kevin Durant scored 37 points, Stephen Curry added 28 and the Golden State Warriors held off the pesky Phoenix Suns 106-100 on Sunday.
The Warriors didn’t seal the victory until Curry’s two free throws with 12.9 seconds to play. Durant added a pair of free throws with seven seconds left to provide the final margin.
T.J. Warren scored 26 points and Eric Bledsoe had 21 for the winless Suns, who took the Thunder into overtime in Oklahoma City on Friday night. Tyson Chandler grabbed 18 rebounds for Phoenix.
The Suns led by as many as 13 in the first half. The Warriors finally took somewhat shaky control midway through the final quarter.
The game looked well in hand for the reigning Western Conference champs when Durant took a lob pass from Andre Iguodala, dunked and was fouled. The three-point play put the Warriors up 102-94 — their biggest lead of the day — with 1:19 to play.
But Phoenix got consecutive driving layups from Bledsoe, Warren and Jared Dudley to cut it to 102-100 with 14.8 seconds remaining. The Suns had to foul Curry, and arguably the best free throw shooter in the game made them both to put away Golden State’s second victory after a loss in its home opener.
The Suns used a 22-2 run to take the big early lead. Durant scored five points in the final 30 seconds of the first half to cut Phoenix’s lead to 57-55 at the break.
Phoenix’s last lead was 84-83 on Alex Len’s inside basket with 10:15 to play
SUNS RUN
Phoenix scored 16 straight points in what became that 22-2 run to lead 30-17 when Alex Len sank a pair of free throws with 38.4 seconds left in the first quarter. Six Suns scored in the run.
TEENAGE FAREWELL,
The Suns’ Devin Booker had a rough day on the court on his 20th birthday, but he did some serious damage in the NBA as a teenager.
Booker scored 1,078 points in 78 games as a teen. The only teens to score more are LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmello Anthony, Durant and Dwight Howard. Booker had six 30-point games as a teenager, one fewer than Durant.
He missed six of his first seven shots Sunday and wound up 3-for-12 for seven points.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Curry drew his fourth foul with 7:51 left in the third quarter but didn’t get his fifth until there was 3:22 to play. … Golden State beat the Suns for the eighth straight time. … Golden State swept the four-game series with the Suns two of the last three years.
Suns: Warren has 56 points in his last two games. … Rookie Marquese Chriss drew his third technical foul of the season. He had two and was tossed from the previous game at Oklahoma City. … Booker was 0 for 6 from the field before sinking a 3 at the shot clock buzzer to tie it at 62.
UP NEXT
Suns: Play at the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.
Warriors: Play at Portland on Tuesday night
