Curry's Fourth-Quarter Free Throws Seal Warriors' 116-113 Escape

Golden State survived a 15-point first-quarter deficit and a Phoenix team that refused to fold, winning 116-113 on November 3, 2026. Stephen Curry's second free throw with 7.4 seconds left in the fourth quarter swung the home win probability from 71% to 88% — the single most decisive moment in a game that had no business being this close.

Phoenix came out swinging. Devin Booker opened the scoring with a 9-foot bucket and a free throw, Dillon Brooks added two more from the line, and by the time Brooks drained a 22-foot three off a Booker assist at the 7:26 mark of the first quarter, the Suns led 14-6 and looked like the sharper team. The bench units kept the gap wide — Oso Ighodaro scored 8 points in the final two minutes of the first quarter alone, and a Collin Gillespie 27-footer pushed the lead to 31-19 heading into the second. Phoenix extended it to 34-19 on a Luke Kennard three to open the second quarter, and at that point, Golden State's night looked like it was heading somewhere ugly.

Then the Warriors started chipping. Stephen Curry found Georges Niang twice in quick succession to trim the lead, Miles Bridges answered with a tip shot and a 27-foot three to push Phoenix back to 41-24, but Golden State wouldn't stay down. Curry hit two free throws, Yaxel Lendeborg buried a 27-footer off a Curry assist, and then added a tip shot — suddenly it was 44-34 and the comeback was on. The story of the night, it appears, was Golden State's ability to manufacture points in waves after Phoenix had done everything right early.

Curry finished with 34 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. Brandin Podziemski added 20 points, and Charles Bassey — who was a force in the first-quarter comeback attempt — ended with 19 points and 8 rebounds. For Phoenix, Booker's 26 points and Miles Bridges' 21-point, 4-steal performance weren't enough. Dillon Brooks contributed 18 points and 8 rebounds, and the Suns got contributions up and down the roster — but Golden State got the final say. The Suns' defense has looked shaky in recent outings, and a 116-113 loss where they held a 15-point lead looks like exactly the kind of game that will fuel those conversations. Five Phoenix players were listed as DNP — coach's decision, including Koa Peat, Rasheer Fleming, Jamaree Bouyea, Malevy Leons, and Brandon Williams — though the Suns still had enough to make this a fight. They just didn't have enough to finish it.