Warriors Set Season-High in Bench Scoring in Loss to Suns

The Warriors set a season-high with 80 bench points in their 119-116 loss to the Suns in Phoenix on Tuesday. The Dubs had five reserves in double-figures and their reserves outscored the Suns’ bench by 50, 80-30. Eighty bench points is a single-game league-high this season. Brandin Podziemski (20 points, 11 rebounds) and Chris Paul (15 points, 11 assists) each recorded double-doubles.

The Warriors trailed by 13 with less than three minutes left, but with Curry and four reserves, they went on an 18-6 run to trim the deficit to within one.

Game Highlights: Suns 119 – Warriors 116

Team Leaders

GSW

PointsReboundsAssistsCurry – 24Podziemski – 11Paul – 11Podziemski – 20Kuminga – 6Podziemski – 5Kuminga – 16Four-tied – 5Curry – 4

PHX

PointsReboundsAssistsBooker – 32Nurkic – 13Booker – 7Nurkic – 17Eubanks – 6Nurkic – 7Beal/Goodwin – 16Goodwin/Metu – 5Goodwin – 6

BENCH SPEARHEADS 18-2 RUNThe Warriors went on an 18-2 run bridging the first and second quarters and their bench was responsible for 16 of those points. The Dubs fell behind 7-0 to begin the game but gained a double-digit lead thanks to their second unit, which had outscored the Suns’ reverses by 20 (26-6) up to that point. Chris Paul’s fifth assist, an alley-oop to Jonathan Kuminga, capped the run as the Warriors assisted on 12 of their first 14 made field goals. 

Jonathan Kuminga goes up to get it and finishes the oop

30 FIRST HALF 3-POINT ATTEMPTSThe Dubs attempted a season-high 30 3-pointers in the first half and their final attempt was a go-ahead splash from Stephen Curry with 3.1 seconds remaining. Curry scored 16 first-half points in 16 minutes and hit three of the Warriors’ 11 made triples. Two former Suns — Chris Paul and Dario Saric — joined Curry as Warriors with multiple made 3-pointers in the half, hitting two apiece. Only the Memphis Grizzlies (32 3PA) have attempted more 3-pointers in a half this season.

What a shot by Stephen Curry

PODZIEMSKI AND KUMINGA EARN SECOND-HALF STARTBrandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga were catalysts in the Warriors’ first-half run and Head Coach Steve Kerr rewarded them by starting them to begin the second half. They replaced Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney, joining the Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green trio. Podziemski (7) and Kuminga (3) combined to score 10 of the Warriors’ first 14 points to begin the half. 

Podziemski led the Warriors in rebounds (11) and made field goals (9), while Kuminga recorded his third straight game in double-figures with 16 points.

Brandin Podziemski finishes through contact

ANOTHER NARROW ROAD LOSSHeaded into Tuesday’s contest, the Warriors had lost their previous three road games by a combined margin of just four points. Tuesday’s three-point loss to the Suns was their fourth straight one-possession road loss. The Warriors and Suns rank first and second for the most ‘clutch time’ games in the league this season (games within five points in the final five minutes), with the Warriors moving to 9-10 (19 games played) in those scenarios and the Suns being 7-8 (15 games played). 

UP NEXT The Warriors conclude their three-game road trip in Los Angeles against the Clippers before returning to Chase Center to host the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.