After squandering a chance to advance in the NBA play-in tournament on Tuesday, the Phoenix Suns will look to rebound in an elimination showdown against the Golden State Warriors on Friday. The winner will move on to face top-seeded Oklahoma City in the first round of the playoffs.
Phoenix blew an 11-point lead over Portland with under seven minutes remaining, allowing the Trail Blazers to complete a comeback and push the Suns to the brink of elimination. A loss Friday would make Phoenix the first No. 7 seed since the play-in format began in 2021 to drop consecutive games and miss the playoffs.
“We addressed it right away,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said of the Portland loss. “The goal is to get in, just get in any way possible. It’s been our goal for a while. So we’ve got to move on. It sucks. These are hard to take, but there’s stuff to learn in here that we’ve got to learn fast and do everything we can to get ready for Friday night.”
The Warriors, who finished 10th in the Western Conference, reached the play-in finale after a thrilling 126-121 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. They didn’t lead in the second half until Al Horford’s three-pointer with 2:12 remaining, rallying from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Stephen Curry, returning from a two-month knee injury absence, led Golden State with 35 points, including a crucial three in the final minute. “There’s a reason we have four championships, and it’s the competitiveness, the heart, the will of Curry and Draymond Green,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s been such a tough year, but to just show what we’re made of was big.”
The Warriors won three of four regular-season meetings with Phoenix, including a 101-97 victory in February, though Curry missed that game due to injury.
Suns forward Dillon Brooks said he’s looking forward to the matchup, adding, “The first quarter is going to really show this game, how I play, and then attacking inside.” He also noted the challenge of facing Curry: “One of the best players ever to do it. Who else do you want to go against in an elimination game?”
Curry averaged 23.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists against the Suns this season. Kerr praised his star guard: “Everybody who thought Steph should’ve taken the rest of the year off, this is what he does. This is who he is. If he can compete, he’s going to compete.”
Ott added that Grayson Allen, who injured his hamstring in the April 10 loss to the Lakers, is progressing and will be a game-time decision.
