Suns eliminate Warriors
The Phoenix Suns knocked the Golden State Warriors out of the play‑in tournament, ending Golden State’s season. (aljazeera.com) Stephen Curry scored 17 points in the loss, and the game — like all 2026 play‑in matchups — streamed exclusively on Prime Video under the new media arrangement. (aljazeera.com) (sportingnews.com)
Phoenix ended Golden State’s season Friday night, beating the Warriors 111-96 in the Western Conference play-in and taking the No. 8 seed. (nba.com) The Suns built a 33-15 first-quarter lead at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix and never trailed after Golden State opened 1-for-9 from 3-point range. (nba.com) Jalen Green scored 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting and hit eight 3-pointers, while Devin Booker added 20 points for Phoenix. Brandin Podziemski led Golden State with 23 points and 10 rebounds. (espn.com) Stephen Curry finished with 17 points, and Phoenix’s defense kept him from taking over the game late. The Warriors closed the gap in the second quarter, but the Suns won the third and fourth quarters to pull away again. (aljazeera.com) (espn.com) The result sent Phoenix into a first-round series against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, with Game 1 scheduled for Sunday. Golden State’s season ended at 37-45 after needing two play-in wins to reach the bracket. (usnews.com) (espn.com) This was the final night of the 2026 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament, the four-day event that fills the No. 7 and No. 8 playoff seeds in each conference. The league’s official play-in page listed all games from April 14 through April 18 as Prime Video exclusives. (nba.com) That streaming setup marked the first play-in under the NBA’s new media-rights arrangement, with no traditional television channel carrying the games. Sporting News’ tournament schedule and game preview both listed Prime Video as the only viewing option. (sportingnews.com 1) (sportingnews.com 2) Phoenix had reached this game after surviving an earlier play-in matchup, and NBA.com noted the Suns avoided becoming the first team to lose both play-in games on their home floor. Instead, they turned a shaky path into the West’s last playoff berth. (nba.com) For the Warriors, the defining number was the opening quarter: 15 points, four early turnovers and an 18-point hole against a team that kept making 3s. By the end, Golden State was out and Phoenix was still playing. (nba.com)
