PHOENIX (AP) — Pat Spencer scored a career-high 20 points, Gui Santos added 18 and the shorthanded Golden State Warriors erased a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 101-97 on Thursday night.
The Suns had a chance to pull ahead in the final seconds, but Dillon Brooks missed a 3-pointer and Golden State’s Gary Payton II came up with the rebound before Moses Moody fed De’Anthony Melton for a layup as time expired.
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Phoenix took an 82-76 lead into the fourth quarter after holding Golden State to 17 points in the third. The Suns pushed the advantage to 90-76 less than two minutes into the fourth after Collin Gillespie hit 3s on back-to-back offensive possessions.
But the Warriors weren’t done, methodically cutting into the advantage before Melton made a layup to tie the game at 97-all with 55.8 seconds remaining. Santos made a fast-break layup with 28.7 seconds remaining to put Golden State up 99-97.
Brooks led the Suns with 24 points. Grayson Allen had 21. Phoenix made just six field goals in the fourth quarter, scoring just 15 points.
Allen fed Oso Ighodaro for a dunk that gave the Suns a 97-91 lead with 3:55 left, but they didn’t score again. Allen landed awkwardly a few moments later, left the game with a little more than three minutes left and did not return. The Suns said it was a right knee injury.
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The Suns were without guards Devin Booker (ankle) and Jalen Green (hamstring/hip). The Warriors didn’t have Stephen Curry (knee) or new forward Kristaps Porzingis, who hasn’t joined the team after being acquired from the Hawks in a trade.
The Warriors took a 59-55 lead into halftime after attempting 37 3-pointers and making 15. Spencer led Golden State with 15 points before the break on five 3-pointers. Brooks had 15 for the Suns.
Porzingis is expected to join the Warriors on Friday in Los Angeles, but coach Steve Kerr was skeptical he’d be ready to play against the Lakers.
Also on Thursday, the Warriors announced they traded reserve forward/center Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Raptors for a second round pick.
Up next
Warriors: At Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.
Suns: Host 76ers on Saturday.
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