Suns beat Warriors 111‑96
The Phoenix Suns beat the Golden State Warriors 111–96 in the NBA play‑in, with Jalen Green leading Phoenix with a game‑high 36 points, and the Suns will face the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. (nytimes.com) Stephen Curry scored 17 as Golden State’s season ended in the play‑in loss. (sportingnews.com)
Phoenix is in the playoffs after beating Golden State 111-96 on Friday night in the Western Conference play-in, ending the Warriors’ season. (apnews.com) Jalen Green scored 36 points and hit eight 3-pointers for the Suns, while Devin Booker added 20. Stephen Curry finished with 17 points for Golden State. (apnews.com; nba.com) The win gave Phoenix the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. The Suns now open the first round against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday in Oklahoma City. (news9.com; nba.com) The play-in tournament decides the last two playoff spots in each conference. Teams that finish seventh through 10th play for the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds after the regular season ends. (nba.com) Golden State reached this game as the No. 10 team in the West, and Phoenix entered as No. 8. Under the format, the loser of the 7-vs.-8 game gets one more chance, while the 9-vs.-10 loser is eliminated immediately. (espn.com; nba.com) Phoenix finished the regular season 45-37, and Golden State finished 37-45. Oklahoma City earned the West’s top seed at 64-18. (espn.com) For the Warriors, the loss closes the book on a season that ended outside the top eight in the conference. For the Suns, the reward is a playoff berth and a quick turnaround into a series against the West’s best regular-season team. (espn.com; news9.com)
