Booker Drops 43 as Phoenix Holds Off Golden State 131-122
Devin Booker put up 43 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists to carry Phoenix past Golden State 131-122 on Sunday. It was the kind of performance that makes you wonder why anyone bothers game-planning against him.
Golden State came out swinging. Yaxel Lendeborg buried a 26-footer on the third possession of the game, then added another three at the 9:31 mark, and Brandon Williams followed with a 24-footer to push the Warriors out to an 11-4 lead before Phoenix had found its footing. Booker answered personally — four straight Phoenix buckets were his, pulling the Suns back to within a point at 15-14 — and by the time the first quarter ended, Phoenix had clawed all the way back to trail just 25-22. The second quarter opened with Phoenix seizing its first lead of the game, and the two teams traded blows through a stretch that saw the score tied at 31, 33, 36, and 39 before halftime. Lendeborg kept Golden State alive with a three, a free throw, a layup, and another free throw in a two-minute burst around the six-minute mark of the second, finishing with 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists on the night. De'Anthony Melton added 25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals, and Brandon Williams chipped in 20 points with 5 assists. Golden State got contributions across the board — but it wasn't enough.
The decisive moment came in the third quarter. With Phoenix holding a 64% win probability, Khaman Maluach connected on a 23-foot three-pointer off a Jalen Green assist at the 5:32 mark, swinging Phoenix's home win probability from 64% to 71% — a 7-point swing that effectively broke Golden State's back. That's the kind of shot that changes the math of a game, and Phoenix never let the Warriors close the gap again. Miles Bridges was solid in support with 16 points and 7 rebounds, and Dillon Brooks contributed 15 points and 5 assists to keep the offense moving around Booker rather than leaning on him exclusively.
For Golden State, the DNP list tells its own story — Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski, and six others were out by coach's decision, leaving a young, thin rotation to absorb a 131-122 defeat. Lendeborg, Melton, and Williams all played well enough to win most nights. Tonight just wasn't most nights. Booker was the difference, and it wasn't particularly close in terms of individual impact. The final score was 131-122, Phoenix.