ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — The Golden State Warriors (24-1) were back in Oakland to face the Phoenix Suns (11-15).
The Warriors were without Harrison Barnes (sprained left ankle), who was scheduled to miss tonight’s game and the next one in two nights, and Kevon Looney (hip surgery rehab). No one was reported as injured by the Suns.
1st Quarter – Both Teams Wettin’
Both teams got off to a hot start, making their first five of the game and 11-of-24 from the field, combined. But the Warriors took the early lead at the first timeout, 16-11, with 6:27 to go.
Brandon Rush splashed three triples, two assisted by Stephen Curry…
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…and one by Draymond Green:
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Less than three minutes later, after Green led an early transition sequence and fed the trailing Curry too late, throwing the ball behind him, then Festus Ezeli blew an alley-oop lob from Curry, and Eric Bledsoe scored easily on a fastbreak pass from Brandon Knight.
Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton didn’t like what he saw and called timeout with 3:45 left, still up 16-15.
The Warriors and Suns closed out the quarter trading misses, then trading jumpers. Thompson got hot and hit three Golden State field goals in a row, two of them triples, but Phoenix answered back with a Knight layup after a Curry turnover.
Klay’s second three brought the Warriors back from a mini-hole to make it 22-26 with 1:42 to play, then Thompson added another runner on a cut assisted by Shaun Livingston, who had checked in for Curry, then Livingston found Green down low and powered a move over Mirza Teletovic.
T.J. Warren got a baseline jumper over Iguodala at the shot clock buzzer late in the first frame and the Suns had a 28-26 lead after one.
2nd Quarter – Late-Developing Flurry
Ezeli and Leandro Barbosa got the bench unit, with Curry and Thompson subbed out, off on the right foot.
Ezeli slammed home a feed by Barbosa…
Found @festus! #NBAVote #DubTheVote pic.twitter.com/Ifor6kwtse
— Golden St. Warriors (@warriors) December 17, 2015
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…while Barbosa got a steal and a runout lefty layup:
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But the Suns killed that momentum with a Teletovic three, a missed hook by Ezeli, and another Warren jumper as Walton took another timeout with 7:02 left, the Suns up 28-26, and Steph and Klay set to check back in.
However, the Suns made a further push, Warren getting a driving bucket on Bledsoe’s sixth assist of the night, and Teletovic converting all three free throws on a close-out foul on Green.
After a TV timeout, Curry drilled a jumper, Thompson got a catch-and-shoot three from the left wing delivered by Livingston, and after P.J. Tucker missed a trey attempt, Curry brought the ball up and gave a backwards flip to Klay for another triple.
Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek called timeout as the Warriors took a 46-42 lead with 3:59 remaining in the first half.
During the timeout, E40 joined Drake as two music celebrities in the building:
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Out of the timeout, Tyson Chandler hit a jumper, but Green answered back with a reverse layup.
Then after a Bledsoe missed jumper, Curry got a step-back three over a switched Alex Len:
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Then Green hit a three, Steph read a pass from Chandler and took it in for a reverse righty layup…
Stop it… pic.twitter.com/wSYD9XndCG
— Josh Lander (@JILProductions) December 17, 2015
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…then made a dribble-and-pivot three from the deep right wing over Alex Len to blow the roof of off #Roaracle:
Stop it… pic.twitter.com/wSYD9XndCG
— Josh Lander (@JILProductions) December 17, 2015
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The Warriors had a 59-46 lead, just like that, with 1:40 left in the half.
Neither team would score before the half. Green missed a three at the buzzer that hit back rim, and Golden State held the same 59-46 lead heading into the second half.
(Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account via @chuckdnguyen)
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