Devin Booker Drops A Stellar 43-Point Showdown As Phoenix Suns Beat Golden State Warriors Following Season-Opening Loss

Devin Booker erupts for 43 points as Suns bounce back© Instagram/ dbook

Devin Booker scored 43 points on Saturday night, and the Phoenix Suns beat the short-handed Golden State Warriors 131-122 in their home opener. The win came three days after a lopsided loss in Portland. Booker made 17 of 25 shots and added seven rebounds and seven assists. He scored 24 of the points after halftime. Phoenix has now won its home opener five years in a row. Golden State fell to 0-3 for the first time in 19 years, with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski and Al Horford all held out.

Devin Booker Scores 43 To Lift Phoenix Suns Past Warriors

DevinBooker had a quiet night by his own standards in the season opener, scoring 23 points in a 124-83 loss at Portland. Saturday started rough for the offense too. The Suns made just 1 of 12 from three in the first quarter. Booker steadied them with 19 points before the break, and Phoenix took a 57-54 lead into halftime.

The third quarter belonged to the 6-foot-5 guard. He scored 17 in the period, and Jordan Goodwin hit a three just before the buzzer for a 102-92 lead.

Further, he finished 17 of 25 from the field and 7 of 8 at the line, but only 2 of 7 from three. Four turnovers were the only real blemish in 36 minutes. The 43 points are the most a Sun has scored in a home opener. 

Booker started at point guard in Portland, and Saturday showed he can run the offense and still score. Seven assists came alongside 25 shot attempts.

Warriors Sink To 0-3 As Phoenix Finds Help Around Booker

Golden State was playing for the third time in four days, and the lineup showed it. Curry (right knee), Podziemski (low back), Green (low back) and Horford (low back) were all out. The Warriors had lost to Memphis the night before.

Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg made the most of the openings, scoring a season-high 26 points with six threes. He took 19 shots, the most on the team, which says plenty about the role Golden State has given him early. De'Anthony Melton added 25 on 8-of-13 shooting, and Brandon Williams had 20. Gui Santos, starting for Green, left late in the third quarter with an apparent left leg injury.

The Warriors stayed within reach for a few minutes of the fourth. Then Luke Kennard, who debuted for Phoenix after missing the opener, hit a three to make it 117-102 with six minutes left. He finished with 11 points and went 3-for-5 from deep. Miles Bridges scored 16, and Dillon Brooks had 15 points and five assists. Collin Gillespie, who went scoreless in Portland, dished out nine assists. Khaman Maluach added nine points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes.

The win moved Phoenix to 1-1. The Suns visit Oklahoma City on Monday. Golden State plays at Denver the same night.