Stephen Curry made a three-pointer with 0.7 seconds left and the Golden State Warriors beat the Phoenix Suns 113-112 on Saturday night for their sixth victory in seven games.
With the Warriors down 112-110 and 3.3 seconds to play, Curry caught the inbounds pass from Brandin Podziemski, turned and hit a 33-footer for his ninth three-pointer of the night. He had 30 points.
Devin Booker led Phoenix with 32 points, and Kevin Durant had 24. The Suns had two chances after Curry’s three-pointer, but Booker was fouled under the basket and the first and Durant couldn’t get a shot off on the second.
Golden State avoided being swept by the Suns in the season series to get back to .500 for the first time since 25 December. The Warriors also are back in the playoff picture, sliding ahead of idle Utah for the 10th seed in the West ahead of a game at the Jazz on Monday night.
The two teams went back-and-forth in the clutch, neither gaining much separation. The Warriors led 84-82 entering the fourth quarter. Booker gave the Suns a 112-110 lead with 35 seconds remaining on a turnaround jumper.
Jonathan Kuminga added 21 points for Golden State. Draymond Green had 15 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
Golden State led 47-40 in the second quarter before the Suns went on a 12-0 run, taking the lead on a three-point play by Durant. The Warriors answered with a spurt by Kuminga – who led Golden State with 13 points at halftime – to take a 59-58 advantage into the break.
Royce O’Neale, acquired at the trade deadline, made his debut for the Suns, scoring three points. David Roddy, Phoenix’s other deadline acquisition, did not play.
Gary Payton, who missed the last 16 games with a left hamstring strain, returned to for the Warriors. He had 11 points.
Green, who had stayed clear of technical fouls since returning from an indefinite suspension in January, picked up a technical while arguing for a foul call after making a layup in the third quarter.
Green also exchanged words and taunts throughout the game with Suns center Jusuf Nurkic, who was hit in the face by Green on 12 December leading to Green’s suspension.
