In what may have been the most tumultuous game of the 2023–24 NBA season, the Golden State Warriors fell to the Phoenix Suns 123–115 on Wednesday night. And that’s saying something since the Warriors have already experienced a game this season in which many players were removed from the court before to a basket being made.
Far from their first confrontation, Warriors guard Chris Paul was dismissed in the second quarter during a furious back-and-forth with referee Scott Foster. The Dubs bench had many incredible runs, but the team was destroyed by some terrible performances by Golden State’s key players.
Despite shooting 6-for-15 from the field and 1-for-8 from three, Steph Curry finished the regular season with 16 points, maybe his poorest performance to date. It also seemed as if Andrew Wiggins went back to the lifeless performances that have characterized his season thus far. Wiggins shot zero three-pointers and dropped back into the background once again. For the Warriors’ seasoned players, Klay Thompson’s shooting was one of the few bright spots. In 25 minutes of play, Thompson went 6-for-10 from three-point range and scored a team-high 23 points.
The Suns took command of the game in the second half, outscoring the Warriors by 23 points and forcing head coach Steve Kerr to bench his starting lineup several times. It may not have been a calculated action, but it certainly functioned as one. The only Warriors to end with a positive plus/minus were Brandin Podziemski (+20), Cory Joseph (+12), Dario Šarić (+12), and Gui Santos (+3). Podziemski contributed 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals to his stat sheet. Šarić made nine field goals and scored 17 points.
In the last minute, the Warriors bench was able to reduce Phoenix’s advantage to three points, but ultimately, the margin was too much to overcome. With a 7-9 record on the season, the Dubs seem to be in turmoil. While there is cause for hope over a burgeoning youth movement, the Warriors are waiting for their seasoned players to gel in the superstar-heavy NBA.