Unlike Christmas Day against the Houston Rockets, the Golden State Warriors came out flat, and so did San Francisco’s Chase Center. The Warriors looked like they were coming off the hangover of an emotional win, and the Phoenix Suns were making the pay early.
The Suns jumped to a 13-point lead behind the stellar play of Devin Booker, but in the fourth quarter, things changed. The Suns were leading by 10 with seven minutes to play in the game, and the Warriors went nuclear from there, finishing the game on a 29-10 to steal a comeback win, 105-96.
The Warriors outscored the Suns 39-18 in the fourth quarter alone behind 21 combined points from D’Angelo Russell and Alec Burks in the final period.
With the comeback win, the Warriors have extended their winning streak to four— the longest in the NBA’s Western Conference.
Smiley Era Underway
After getting recalled from G League Santa Cruz earlier in the week, rookie Alen Smailagic and Warriors fans everywhere have been waiting for the NBA debut of the Serbian big-man.
Against the Suns, Steve Kerr granted Dub Nation’s wish, playing Smailagic for five minutes, and the rookie didn’t disappoint.
Smailagic scored four points on 2-3 shooting, adding a rebound and a block against the Suns. Smailagic looked supremely confident in NBA action at only 19-years old. The Serbian even stepped out and launched a three-pointer that he couldn’t rattle home.
Forcing Turnovers
Through the first three-quarters of the game, the Phoenix Suns outplayed the Warriors. Still, one thing left the door open for the Golden State comeback—turnovers.
The Suns turned the basketball over 28 times, and the Warriors took advantage, scoring 28 points off turnovers in the game. The Suns’ backcourt of Ricky Rubio and Booker turned the ball over 15 times combined, more than the entire Warriors rotation.
