SAN FRANCISCO — For the first time since early December, the Warriors put out the best five-man lineup in the NBA on Tuesday night.
Stephen Curry finally made his return to game action after a month-long absence from a shoulder injury. It came on the heels of Andrew Wiggins return from a 15-game hiatus Saturday.
But the Warriors inching closer to full strength didn’t prevent them from underestimating the star-less Suns, resulting in a 125-113 defeat that put the defending champs one game below .500 at the halfway point of the season.
Curry exhibited some of the same rust Wiggins is trying to shake after missing an extended period of time due to injuries. The two-time league MVP got off to a slow start, which was somewhat to be expected after being out 11 games due to a partially dislocated left shoulder. He scored only eight points in the first three quarters before popping off for 16 in the fourth.
“I felt like I got stronger as the game went on, which is exciting knowing the body will respond,” said Curry, who finished with 24 points in 31 minutes. “Going to come on this road trip and be able to continue to build my endurance back to where it was before the injury.”
Curry, who was under a minutes restriction, didn’t feel hampered by his injury to his non-dominant shoulder. He said he had to get to a point during the ramp up process where he could trust it and not think about it while going through the motions.
But even with Curry back, the Warriors were out of sync for most of the game, a common theme of this season. They suffered offensive lulls and defensive lapses that allowed the Suns to go on runs, including a 10-0 dash at the end of the first quarter.
The Suns had the Warriors’ number in their first two meetings earlier this season, both in Phoenix. And despite playing without Devin Booker, Cam Johnson, Cameron Payne and Deandre Ayton, Tuesday was looking like it’d be no different for the Suns, who had lost seven straight games. They led by by 14 at the half and pulled away by as many as 27 points in the third.
After a lethargic first three quarters of the game, though, the Warriors turned on the jets in the fourth quarter, putting together their most aggressive defensive effort of the night. That energy, paired with the combined offensive forces of Curry and Jordan Poole, got the Warriors back into the game.
Golden State entered the fourth trailing 98-79. But Wiggins started to show shades of his pre-injured self on defense, and Andre Iguodala helped connect the group on both ends of the floor before he was ejected with 4:30 left for unsportsmanlike conduct in his second game of the season. Meanwhile, Poole and Curry took care of the scoring, going a combined 29 points in the final 12 minutes, which was two points more than the entire Phoenix team in that frame.
Golden State turned back-to-back Suns’ turnovers into a quick five points by Poole with under two minutes left. His 3 at the 1:28 mark pulled the Warriors within six points, the closest they had been since early in the second quarter.
Curry fouled former Warriors guard and his brother-in-law Damion Lee twice in a row, sending him to the line for four of the Suns’ 12 fourth-quarter free throws.
The Warriors were within six with a minute left thanks to a Poole dunk, but that was it.
Poole might’ve had a quiet start to his first game coming off the bench since Dec. 2, but he finished strong, scoring 25 of his 27 points in the second half. Klay Thompson led the Warriors in scoring with 29 points, including 14 in the opening frame. But the Warriors got it going too late and ultimately lost their third straight game.
Kerr took responsibility for the team lacking energy in the first three quarters before it kicked it into high gear in the final frame.
“I clearly didn’t have our guys ready to play and that’s my fault,” he said. “I’ve got to do a better job of giving them the slap in the face that Phoenix gave us in the first quarter. These games… always go like this. A team’s got a bunch of starters out and then all the guys who normally don’t play much, they can’t wait to get out there. A guy like [Dario] Saric comes out and just kicks out butt.
“There are no easy days in the league. So I think the combination of that dynamic and then us getting some guys back and trying to find our rhythm, it really got us off to a slow start but I did like the fact we competed in that fourth quarter and fought like crazy.”
The 20-21 Warriors will hit the road for a five-game road trip, which will kickoff Friday in San Antonio.
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