OAKLAND – The Warriors walked into Oracle Arena Saturday having lost their last two games, their third two-game losing "streak" of the season.
And for the third time, they found a way to avoid a three-game losing streak.
The Warriors went back to what had been a winning formula all season, playing snug defense and riding it to a 106-87 win over the Phoenix Suns.
Stephen Curry led all scorers wit 25 points. Klay Thompson put in 22, while Leandro Barbosa had 14, Harrison Barnes finished with 13 and Andre Iguodala totaled 12.
The Warriors (37-8) were outrebounded for the third consecutive game (52-44) but held Phoenix to 36.3 percent shooting from the floor and forced 22 turnovers, off which they scored 21 points.
The Warriors started slowly, missing their first 10 shots and falling behind 8-0 in the first four minutes. They cranked up the defensive pressure, and it paid off.
The Suns' shooting percentage declined steadily over the course of the game, from a high of 44 percent in the first quarter to 31 percent (13 of 42) in the second half.
The victory was the Warriors sixth consecutive win over Phoenix (28-21) in Oakland and lifted to 5-0 their record this season in the Saturday night slate jerseys.
STANDOUT PERFORMER:
It was a Splash Brothers kind of night, with Curry doing most of the splashing.
Curry made 7-of-15 shots in the first half, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc, putting most of the punch in the Warriors' offense before his teammates joined in the fun. Curry added seven assists, two steals and a blocked shot to his 25 points.
TURNING POINT:
Leading 61-59 with 4:57 left in the third quarter, the Warriors went on an 11-2 run to take a 72-61 lead with 2:05 left in the quarter.
The Suns never got closer than six after that, as the Warriors pulled away with a 17-4 burst in the fourth quarter, taking a 99-79 lead with 3:12 to play.
The Warriors trailed by as much as 12 in the first half before rallying to narrow the gap and take a one-point lead (52-51) at the half.
INJURY REPORT:
The Warriors have no injuries of note.
ROSTER NOTE:
C Festus Ezeli is on assignment with D-League affiliate Santa Cruz Warriors.
WHAT'S NEXT:
The Warriors return to action Tuesday night, when they travel to Sacramento to face the Kings at Sleep Train Arena.
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