NEW DELHI: The Phoenix Suns secured a 108-104 victory over the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, thanks in part to a 32-point performance from Devin Booker. In the closing moments, Booker made three crucial assists to seal the win. The game was a back-and-forth contest and was a one-point game in the Suns' favor before Booker's late-game heroics.
First, he found Josh Okogie in the left corner for a 3-pointer, extending the lead to 103-99 with 1:09 remaining. After Stephen Curry made two free throws for the Warriors, Booker then drew the defense and set up Eric Gordon for another 3-pointer, pushing the lead to five points with 44.7 seconds left.
Curry responded with a 3-pointer off an offensive rebound to bring the Warriors within two points at 106-104 with 31.4 seconds remaining. However, after a timeout, the ball was in Booker's hands once again. This time, he delivered an assist to Jusuf Nurkic for a layup, which secured the game's final points with 10.3 seconds left.
Booker finished the game with eight assists, and his clutch plays down the stretch were instrumental in the Suns' victory. Phoenix played without their new backcourt partner, Bradley Beal, who was sidelined with a back injury.
In addition to Booker's performance, Kevin Durant had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Jusuf Nurkic also recorded a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Josh Okogie contributed 17 points, and Eric Gordon added 10 points off the bench for the Suns.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 27 points but struggled from beyond the arc, missing 10 of his 14 three-point attempts. Klay Thompson had 15 points, Chris Paul added 14 points and nine assists, and Jonathan Kuminga scored 12 points. The Warriors played without Draymond Green, who was sidelined with an ankle injury.
Phoenix built a 15-point lead by halftime, primarily due to Booker's 21 first-half points. However, Golden State staged a comeback in the third quarter, embarking on a 21-2 run to take a 73-66 lead with five minutes remaining in the period.
(With Reuters inputs)
