The Phoenix Suns earned their first win of the regular season on October 25, beating the Golden State Warriors 131-122 at Mortgage Matchup Center in a game shaped by shot quality, ball movement and a decisive third-quarter separation.
Golden State led 25-22 after the first quarter, but Phoenix changed the terms of the game in the middle periods. The Suns scored 35 points in the second quarter and then produced a 45-point third quarter, turning a tight first half into a game Golden State spent the fourth quarter chasing.
Phoenix entered at 0-1 and Golden State at 0-2, with both teams still searching for early-season stability. The Suns had three days of rest and only one game in the previous seven days, while the Warriors were playing on one day of rest in a back-to-back spot after two games in the previous seven days. That context showed most clearly after halftime, when Phoenix’s pace and half-court execution put sustained pressure on a Warriors rotation already missing Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody and Kristaps Porzingis.
Phoenix’s passing created the separation
The clearest statistical difference was Phoenix’s ability to convert possessions into clean looks. The Suns finished with 33 assists on 50 made field goals, while Golden State had 24 assists on 41 makes. Phoenix shot 50-for-86 from the field, a level of efficiency that allowed the Suns to withstand their own 17 turnovers.
The Warriors generated enough perimeter volume to stay within range, making 17 of 39 from 3-point range. Phoenix countered with broader offensive balance: 50 made field goals, 14 made 3s and 17 made free throws. The Suns did not need to win the possession battle cleanly because their shot-making and passing were more reliable across the final three quarters.
The third quarter decided the game. Golden State scored 38 in the period, which would normally be enough to flip momentum on the road. Phoenix answered with 45, its highest-scoring quarter of the night, and carried that offensive rhythm into a fourth quarter where the Warriors never erased the deficit.
Golden State’s offense had volume, but not enough resistance
Golden State’s 122 points were built on 91 field-goal attempts, 39 3-point attempts and 32 free-throw attempts. The Warriors also won the rebounding margin 44-42, but those advantages did not overcome Phoenix’s superior field-goal conversion and assist creation.
The Warriors committed 17 turnovers, matching Phoenix’s total, and finished with nine steals and four blocks. The defensive activity was present, but it did not translate into enough disruption once Phoenix settled into its passing game. The Suns had 33 assists despite Golden State’s pressure, which points to Phoenix solving the first layer of defense and forcing rotations behind it.
Stephen Curry entered as Golden State’s leading established scorer at 23.5 points per game through two games, while Y. Lendeborg had opened the season averaging 18.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists through three games. With Jimmy Butler III out following right ACL repair surgery, Moses Moody out after left patellar tendon repair surgery and Kristaps Porzingis not with the team, Golden State needed its available creators to carry a heavy offensive burden. The Warriors scored enough to compete, but they did not get enough stops to make that scoring hold up.
Booker-led Suns fit the pregame profile at home
Devin Booker entered the night averaging 33 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists through two games, giving Phoenix the clearest individual scoring anchor in the matchup. The Suns also had Dillon Brooks at 12.5 points per game, Miles Bridges at 12 points per game, Luke Kennard at 11 points in his lone appearance and Jalen Green at 11 points per game through two games.
Phoenix’s injury situation left the frontcourt short-handed, with Mark Williams out after left shoulder surgery and Oso Ighodaro doubtful because of a right oblique strain. Luke Kennard was questionable with left knee tendinopathy. Even with those availability concerns, the Suns produced 42 rebounds, five blocks and enough offensive spacing to score 131.
The result aligned with the pregame expectation that Phoenix held the stronger position at home. The market implied Phoenix at 77.3 percent before tipoff, and the Suns had already won their only home split while averaging 131 points in that setting. Golden State entered 0-2 away from home while averaging 113.5 points in those games, and the Warriors allowed Phoenix to reach exactly 131 again.
What the result means
Phoenix moved to 1-1 by showing that its offense can absorb turnovers when the passing volume and finishing are this sharp. The Suns’ 33 assists were the defining number because they reflected a team creating advantages collectively rather than relying only on isolation scoring.
Golden State fell to 0-3 despite scoring 122 and making 17 3-pointers. The Warriors’ issue was not offensive ambition; it was defensive containment. Allowing 50 made field goals and a 45-point third quarter on the second night of a back-to-back left too little margin, even with strong 3-point volume and 32 free-throw attempts.
For Phoenix, the win provided an early regular-season correction after an 0-1 start. For Golden State, the opening stretch now includes three losses, a depleted injury report and a defense that has yet to support the scoring output required to win high-possession games.