ESPN News Services
Apr 18, 2026, 01:00 AM ET
PHOENIX -- Jalen Green scored 36 points, Devin Booker added 20 and the Phoenix Suns locked down Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, winning 111-96 in the NBA's play-in tournament Friday night.
The Suns took the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday in Game 1. The Warriors' season is over.
Green shot 14 of 20 from the field, including 8 of 14 on 3-pointers. Jordan Goodwin had 19 points, nine rebounds and was a menace on defense with six steals.
The game was a little vindication for Green after he struggled against the Warriors in last year's playoffs, when he was with the Houston Rockets. He averaged just 13.3 points in the seven-game series, shooting 37% from the field.
"I remember what they did last year. ... There's a lesson in every situation," Green said. "It's never failure. You always get back up. So, I for sure brought some of that energy from last year into tonight's game, and we capitalized. I'm happy about it."
Booker and Golden State's Draymond Green were each assessed a technical foul late in the fourth quarter after exchanging words multiple times, and they were ejected.
Curry, 38, couldn't get many clean looks and finished with 17 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with 23 points.
Phoenix led by five at the break and built a 69-53 advantage with 5:12 left in the third after a fast-break layup by Royce O'Neale. The score was 85-72 with 10:12 remaining.
There was reason to believe the lead wasn't safe. Phoenix blew an 11-point, fourth-quarter lead in a loss to Portland on Tuesday night, while Golden State clawed back from a 13-point fourth-quarter hole to beat the LA Clippers on Wednesday night, leading to the winner-take-all matchup Friday.
"Obviously, Tuesday night was emotional for everyone how it ended, but I think that's what we've done all year," Suns coach Jordan Ott said. "I think the group that's in that locker room has a ton of resilience and wants to do things different. And that's what we stress from the get-go. Sometimes, the road's not always the one that you choose ... or the one that's most traveled. Sometimes, it's the least traveled. So, we found our way in. Now, it's on to the next thing."
The Warriors looked as if they might have another comeback brewing after Curry hit a 3-pointer that cut the margin to 85-78 with 9:30 left. But the Suns responded by scoring the next seven points.
The Suns avoided becoming the first team to lose both play-in tournament games on their home floor. The current format was established in 2021.
"These guys want to be in those types of environments," Ott said. "When you find that sweet spot, you want to hang on to it. We're at that spot. Perfect timing -- perfect time for all that to happen and then to see the results pay off. ... Know it's a quick turnaround to Sunday, know the opponent that we got going up against, but we're excited. We're excited to keep this thing rolling."
Golden State's Kristaps Porzingis played through right ankle soreness, the result of an injury Wednesday against the Clippers. The 7-foot-3 center played just 15 minutes and finished with 11 points.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
