Golden State overwhelmed Phoenix with a dominant first-half performance, keeping their hopes alive for a top-six playoff seed in the West. (AP/Brandon Dill)
- Golden State dominated from the start, building a 26-point halftime lead behind strong performances from Curry and rookie Podziemski.
- The Warriors remain tied with Denver, Memphis and the Clippers at 47-32 as they battle to avoid the Western Conference play-in tournament.
- Phoenix suffered its worst defeat of the season and now needs to win its final three games while Dallas loses out to have any playoff chance.
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PHOENIX — Stephen Curry scored 25 points, Brandin Podziemski added 22 and the Golden State Warriors coasted past the Phoenix Suns 133-95 on Tuesday night to keep pace in a crowded Western Conference playoff race.
The Warriors are trying to secure one of the top six seeds in the West, which would keep them out of the play-in tournament. Golden State is currently tied with the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers at 47-32 for the fourth through seventh spots.
Golden State jumped to a 69-43 lead by halftime. Curry had 19 points before the break, while Podziemski added 17.
The Warriors led by as many as 41 points in the second half.
The Suns — who have lost seven straight — are on the brink of elimination from the postseason race. The only way Phoenix can sneak into the Western Conference play-in tournament is by winning its final three games of the regular season while the Dallas Mavericks lose their last three.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 21 points while Grayson Allen and Ryan Dunn added 12. The 38-point margin of defeat was the team’s worst of the season.
Takeaways
Warriors: Golden State took care of an inferior opponent on the road and has two more very winnable games in the coming days against the Spurs and Trail Blazers. The season finale against the Clippers could be very important for playoff positioning.
Suns: Phoenix looks like a team ready for the offseason. Booker played well in the first half, but that’s about the end of the positives.
Key Moment
Moses Moody hit a 3-pointer with 8:54 left in the first quarter to give the Warriors a 10-8 lead. They would never trail again.
Key Stat
The Suns shot just 35 of 88 (39.8%) from the field, including 12 of 43 (27.9%) on threes.
Up next
The Warriors host the Spurs on Wednesday. The Suns host the Thunder on Wednesday.
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