The Warriors and Suns find ways to create drama when they play one another. Thursday’s game in Phoenix was full of hijinks and questionable decisions, culminating in a 99-98 win for the Suns. Now the two will run it back in the Bay on Saturday night.
Golden State is a -5.5 home favorite on the DraftKings Sportsbook. A Suns upset is priced at +110 and the game’s total is set at 227.5 points. Let’s dig into the preview, prediction, and best pick for this Warriors-Suns matchup.
Warriors vs. Suns preview, prediction
Thursday’s game had a typical theme for the Warriors. They play well early, then collapse down the stretch due to turnovers and huge scoring droughts. A 3+ minute drought let the Suns, led by Devin Booker, climb into the lead. With the game slipping away, Golden State got momentarily bailed out by Dillon Brooks on a highly controversial play.
Brooks, already playing with a technical foul, appeared to wind up and hit Steph Curry in the chest. It was ruled a flagrant, meaning two free throws and the ball. Curry sank both free throws, Jimmy Butler drilled a three, and the game was tied. But controversial calls weren’t done: in a 98-98 game, the Suns had a shot in the final seconds to win the game, but it clanked off the iron. Moses Moody committed a loose ball foul with 0.4 seconds on the clock, and Jordan Goodwin hit the game-winning free throw to deliver a strange victory to Phoenix.
Now the two teams will look to follow up that performance with another entertaining game. Last time out, Golden State got very little from Steph Curry, who struggled to find his shot. Jimmy Butler picked up the slack, but to no avail. Devin Booker had a slow start as well, but looked like his dominant self down the stretch. And Dillon Brooks, despite his colossal brain fart in crunch time, did a lot of heavy lifting offensively. The stars will be out in this one.
Can the Warriors redeem themselves after Thursday’s humiliating loss? Or will the Suns pull out the victory once again?
Warriors vs. Suns pick, best bet
Spoiler alert: the Warriors stink right now. Even at home, it’s hard to feel confident in them winning any game, let alone a game against a tough and hungry Suns squad. Phoenix will sweep the home-and-home series with another close win.
