Suns Survive Wild Finish, Brooks’ Blunder to Edge Warriors in Thriller 99-98
You can teach plays, you can teach defensive rotations, but you can’t teach the kind of heart-stopping chaos that unfolded between the Suns and Warriors at the Footprint Center on Thursday night. In a game that oscillated between ugly and electric, the Phoenix Suns managed to escape with a 99-98 victory over the Golden State Warriors, thanks to a split-second hustle play from an unlikely hero.
It wasn’t Devin Booker or Dillon Brooks standing at the free-throw line with 0.4 seconds remaining and the game tied. It was Jordan Goodwin.
After a chaotic sequence where Stephen Curry tied the game, and Jimmy Butler seemingly saved the Warriors, the Suns had one last gasp. Brooks launched a 3-pointer that clanked hard off the rim—a shot that looked like it would send the game to overtime. But Goodwin didn’t quit on the play. He crashed the glass, snatched the rebound, and drew the foul on the putback attempt. He missed the first free throw, just to ramp up the blood pressure in the arena, before sinking the second to seal a win that felt equal parts relief and exhilaration.
Booker Wakes Up When the Suns Need Him Most
For the first 24 minutes, the Suns looked like they were running in quicksand. They shot just 37% in the first half, staring up at a 53-46 deficit against a Warriors team desperate to snap a losing skid. The offense felt disjointed, the energy flat.
Then, Devin Booker decided he’d seen enough.
Booker, who finished with 25 points, was virtually invisible early on but erupted in the second half, pouring in 23 of those points when the game hung in the balance. Every time Golden State threatened to pull away, Booker had an answer, hitting tough pull-ups and getting to the line. He dragged the offense back to life, turning a sluggish night into a heavyweight fight. When your franchise star can flip the switch like that, it covers up a lot of early-game blemishes.
The Dillon Brooks Rollercoaster
If you want the full Dillon Brooks experience, Thursday night was the masterclass. He was arguably the best player on the floor for stretches, dropping 24 points and bringing a physical edge that Phoenix desperately needs. But in true Brooks fashion, he almost cost them everything.
With under a minute to play and the Suns holding a 96-91 lead, Brooks made a decision that baffled everyone in the building. He got tangled up with Curry after a 3-point attempt and was whistled for a Flagrant 1 foul for hitting the Warriors star in the stomach.
It was a momentum-killer. Curry drilled the free throws, and moments later, Jimmy Butler buried a 3-pointer to tie the game at 96. The air went out of the building. What looked like a secure win had dissolved in seconds due to a lack of discipline. Brooks went from hero to goat and back to being a bystander as Goodwin saved the day. It’s the trade-off you make with Brooks—you get the fire, but sometimes you get burned.
Warriors Waste a Jimmy Butler Masterclass
You have to feel for Jimmy Butler. The veteran forward did everything in his power to drag Golden State across the finish line. Butler dropped a game-high 31 points, looking every bit the alpha dog the Warriors needed on a night where Stephen Curry couldn’t buy a bucket.
Curry, coming off a 48-point explosion against Portland, looked mortal. He finished with just 15 points on a brutal 3-of-13 shooting night. The Suns’ defense hounded him, forcing the ball out of his hands and daring anyone else to beat them. Butler accepted that challenge, but he didn’t get enough help.
The frustration on the Warriors’ bench was palpable. This is a team searching for answers, having lost three straight and five of their last seven. They had this game won, then lost, then tied, then lost again. For a team with championship DNA, finding ways to lose close games is a troubling new habit.
Unsung Heroes of the Valley
While Booker and Brooks will grab the headlines, this win doesn’t happen without the guys further down the roster. Collin Gillespie was a revelation, chipping in 16 points and providing a steady hand when the offense got rocky. And then there’s Goodwin.
In a league dominated by superstars, it’s refreshing to see a game decided by pure hustle. Goodwin’s awareness to follow the shot when everyone else was watching the flight of the ball is the difference between 15-12 and 14-13.
What This Means for the Suns
This wasn’t a masterpiece. It was a grind. But in the Western Conference, you don’t apologize for ugly wins. The Suns move to 15-12, finding a way to protect their home court before heading to San Francisco on Saturday to complete the home-and-home set.
They showed resilience, overcoming a terrible shooting start and a late-game self-inflicted wound.
