The Suns narrowly defeated the Warriors 119-116. The defeat was mainly due to the sluggish performance of the starting line-up, and their overall performance was indeed disappointing. Especially when it mattered most, the team has been relying on the play of the substitutes, which is undoubtedly a frustrating result. Interestingly, the best players of the game turned out to be substitutes.
Paul showed frightening dominance after his comeback, and he was not only extremely efficient, but he also contributed 15 points, 5 rebounds and 11 assists on 3-of-4 three-point shooting. Under his leadership, the substitutes are fully equipped to start. It's a pity that as he gets older, Paul's playing time is limited, otherwise he would definitely become an absolute core player.
Saric has shown great aggression at the moment, especially since joining the Warriors, where he has been a great help in all aspects, stabilizing the offensive end and playing with ease when paired with Paul. And he managed to keep Beal's offense firmly within the defensive end and performed remarkably. Podzemski, Kuminga and Moody also made impressive performances.
Podzemski, in particular, has averaged 12 points per game in his last five games0 points and 72 rebounds, and today he scored 20 points, and helped the team chase consecutive points at the end of the game, which was a surprise. Kuminga and Moody, meanwhile, have been consistent on the offensive end, with both having chances to score in double figures.
It's just that Moody's status is still a little low, and he was replaced in the final quarter just after making a three-pointer, which is really helpless. In contrast, the starting lineup collapsed across the board. For example, Curry performed well in the first half, but his shooting rate was sluggish in the second half, and he couldn't step up in the final quarter, and his 8-of-24 shooting rate was really helpless.
Especially in the last shot of the game, Curry shot too impatiently, obviously trying too much to prove himself, but unfortunately failed to hit. Thompson and Wiggins couldn't get back to form either, with the pair combining for 3-of-17 shooting, which was unsatisfactory. Green got into trouble again and was eventually ejected. Add to that the fact that Looney, as a blue-collar player, failed to make a substantial contribution on the interior today.