Phoenix Suns take down the Warriors 104-92
The Golden State Warriors have had an impressive run during their last three games where they gunned down the likes of the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz.
On Monday night against the Phoenix Suns though, the Warriors followed the path that has become all too familiar this season. They lost pace early in the piece, made a second half surge to reduce the deficit to single-digits,
and then watched Phoenix hit the gas and pull away down the stretch for a 104-92 win.
Channing Fyre led the Phoenix assault with 19 points and 11 boards. Five other Suns players notched up double figures as well. The most important performance though came from the veteran swingman, Steve Nash. Nash had a sensational
all-round night, chipping in with 14 points and a whopping 15 assists in nearly 37 minutes of play. Grant Hill scored 18 points and Vince Carter had 10, while Mickael Pietrus and Jared Dudley came off the bench to fetch 12 apiece.
For the Warriors, Monta Ellis top scored with 21 points and 12 rebounds. David Lee scored all of his 16 points in the first half and complemented it with 10 boards, while Stephen Curry had 15 points and eight assists.
The Suns roared into the Oracle Arena with an intensity that has been missing from their ranks in all the away games this season. After Alec Biedrins put the home team up by two in the early seconds, the Suns launched a barrage
of pinpoint jumpers and three pointers, which sparked them to a 20-6 lead within the first six minutes of play. The stunned Warriors looked extremely out of rhythm as they fell behind 33-17 at the end of the first quarter.
They caught up with the Suns in the ensuing quarter though with Ellis finally coming into his groove. The relentless Phoenix offence however, continued to up the ante as they sprung to a 62-45 lead by half time.
The Suns had an excellent half. The visitors shot at 50 percent from both within and beyond the arc; an effort which ultimately proved to be the difference.
The Warriors got the second stanza off to a positive start as Dorrell Wright slipped in five straight to close the gap. Phoenix however, were in no mood to back off. Vince Carter netted a floating jumper to spark a 9-2 run that
propelled them to a 77-54 lead; their biggest advantage of the match.
The Warriors however, led by Ellis bounced back immediately with an 11-2 run that brought them within 13. Phoenix scored on their next two possessions to halt the surge as the teams headed into the final quarter with the score
at 89-75.
The start of the fourth period marked a forceful resurgence from the Warriors. Staring at a 93-77 deficit early, Beno Udoh netted two consecutive hook shots as the Warriors sprinted away to an 11-point unanswered spurt. The
run which was capped by two Ellis free throws brought the Warriors within striking distance at 88-93 with less than five minutes left on the clock.
That was the closest the Warriors got on the night though, as Channing Fyre knocked down a three-pointer to nip the surge and then backed it up with a jumper in the very next possession. Two more treys from Nash and Dudley followed,
as the Suns pulled away for good. The game finally ended at 104-92 and broke a three-match losing spell for the Suns.
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