Stephen Curry scored 34 points as the Golden State Warriors came back from 17 points down to beat the Phoenix Suns 116-113 on Monday night at Chase Center.
The win was the fifth in a row for Golden State, who started the season 0-3 and now sit at 5-3. Golden State had not won five straight at any point last season.
Draymond Green was ejected early in the third quarter after drawing two technical fouls in one sequence. The Warriors were trailing when he left, and they still found a way to win without him.
Charles Bassey came off the bench to score a career-high 19 points and collect eight rebounds in 23 minutes. His work inside gave Golden State the lift it needed while Green sat out the rest of the game.
Curry took over after the ejection. The Warriors scored 42 points in the third quarter and turned a 10-point deficit at the time Green left into a win.
Warriors lose Green after third-quarter clash
Green took exception to contact from Suns centre Khaman Maluach, who had pushed him to the floor. Green got up, grabbed Maluach around the waist and threw him to the ground.
Dillon Brooks ran in to defend his teammate, and Green grabbed Brooks by the jersey and jammed a fist into the side of his neck. The referees gave Brooks one technical foul and Green two, which meant an ejection for Green.
It was the 23rd regular-season ejection of Green’s career. He has also been ejected from two playoff games and suspended for two more, and the latest incident brought his disciplinary record back into focus.
Green finished with four points, four rebounds and two assists. He is averaging 3.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game in six appearances this season.
The NBA opted not to hand down any further discipline after the game. No suspension followed the ejection, and Green was free to play in the next game.
Warriors rally behind Curry and Bassey
Curry said after the game that Green’s ejection “lit a fire beneath us.” The Warriors played with more pace and more force from that point on, and the Suns could not hold the lead.
Bassey had 10 points and six rebounds in nearly 15 minutes during the second half. He had impressed in his return game against the Suns nine days earlier, only to be pulled from the rotation when Golden State faced Denver.
Golden State was short-handed before Green left. Kristaps Porzingis, Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, Gui Santos, Brandon Williams and Al Horford were all out, and the bench had to carry a heavier load than usual.
Brooks scored 18 points for Phoenix, and Jalen Green added eight assists. The Suns led by 17 in the first half and still held a 10-point lead when Green was ejected, but they could not close the game out.
Golden State had already shown the same habit days earlier, coming back from 25 points down against the Los Angeles Lakers. The win over Phoenix followed the same shape: trouble early, Curry taking over, and enough help around him to finish the job.
Warriors keep finding ways to win
The Warriors have now won five straight after an 0-3 start, and the turnaround has come from their veterans and from rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. The early weeks of the season looked bleak, and the last two weeks have changed the picture.
Steve Kerr has asked Curry and Green to adapt to a different style this season, and the wins have come in different ways. Some nights Curry has carried the scoring, and other nights the bench has stepped in.
The next test comes on Thursday, when the Miami Heat visit Chase Center. Golden State will have Green back for that game, and the Warriors will try to stretch the winning run to six. The run has given Golden State breathing room in the early standings, and the next stretch of home games offers a chance to build on it.