Devin Booker scored 43 points, a Suns record for a home opener, as Phoenix beat Golden State 131-122 on Saturday, per Deadspin. Booker also had seven assists and seven rebounds.
The dagger was a four-point play with 35 seconds left in the third quarter that pushed the lead to 99-89. Miles Bridges added 16, Dillon Brooks had 15, and Luke Kennard hit three 3s for 11 points in his Suns debut.
A Rough Start in the Bay
The Warriors are now 0-3, their worst start since 2007-08. They were on the second night of a back-to-back after blowing a 12-point lead in the final four minutes of a 111-108 loss to Memphis on Friday.
Golden State was also missing a lot. Stephen Curry (knee), Brandin Podziemski (back) and Al Horford (back) sat for injury management. Draymond Green missed the game with low back soreness, and Kristaps Porzingis was away from the team with an undisclosed health issue.
The young guys fought. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg put up 26 points and 9 rebounds with six 3s, and De’Anthony Melton scored 25.
The IAHHM Take
Booker needed this one. The Suns lost their opener at Portland by 41, and the noise started fast. Forty-three in front of the home crowd is how a franchise player shuts that down.
As for the Warriors, don’t panic just yet. You can’t judge a team that played without Steph, Draymond, Horford, Podziemski and Porzingis. But 0-3 is 0-3, and the West doesn’t wait for anybody.
Is this a slow start or the beginning of the end of the Warriors’ run? Sound off.
More NBA on IAHHM: Cooper Flagg exits with a shoulder injury after a hard Nesmith foul.
Source: Deadspin
