Curry Leads Warriors Past Suns in Brawl-Heavy Game

The Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns turned a routine matchup into a physical struggle on Monday night. The game featured three technical fouls and the ejection of star forward Draymond Green. Golden State came away with a 116-113 victory in front of its home crowd.

Stephen Curry carried the offensive load for the Warriors. He finished with 34 points, seven assists, and six rebounds. His efficiency at the line was high, as he made 11 of 12 free throws. He missed his final attempt with five seconds remaining on the clock. This marked his first miss of the season.

The physicality of the game boiled over in the third quarter. Khaman Maluach pushed Green to the floor in the paint. Green rose from the ground, wrapped his arms around Maluach, and threw him down. Dillon Brooks sprinted into the scrum and approached Green. The two pushed and shoved, with Green placing his hand on Brooks' neck. Both players received technical fouls. Green was ejected two minutes into the third quarter for consecutive technicals.

Phoenix's Devin Booker led the Suns with 26 points and five assists. He fouled out with 58 seconds left in the game. Miles Bridges added 21 points, and Brooks contributed 18 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. The Suns trailed by two points for most of the second half before falling short.

The Warriors' defense and rebounding held up despite the chaos. Charles Bassey scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Brandin Podziemski added 20 points. The win extended Golden State's winning streak to five games. The team reached the midpoint of its six-game homestand.

The game remained competitive until the final minutes. With 7:26 left, a fight broke out near the basket. Jalen Green and Bassey fought for a rebound, and Bassey kept his arms around Green's head. Bridges ran to the baseline and shoved Bassey. Security personnel separated the players, and Bridges received a technical for the physical escalation.

Golden State used its seventh different starting lineup in the last eight games. Will Richard made his second start of the season. Yaxel Lendeborg scored 16 points, recorded five assists, and had five rebounds. The Warriors will host the Miami Heat on Thursday night.