SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry finally made his return to game action Tuesday after a monthlong absence from a shoulder injury, but Golden State couldn’t get the job done against the shorthanded Phoenix Suns, losing 125-113.
The Suns had the Warriors’ number in their first two meetings this season, both in Phoenix. And despite playing without Devin Booker, Cam Johnson, Cameron Payne and Deandre Ayton, Tuesday was no different for the Suns. They pulled away by 27 points in the third quarter and held a comfortable double figure lead for most of the fourth.
It felt like a ballgame when Dario Saric made a layup with 2:16 left to put the Suns up 117-105.
But the Warriors, led by Curry and Jordan Poole, attempted to rally, turning back-to-back Suns’ turnovers into a quick five points by Poole with under two minutes left. His 3 with 1:28 left pulled the Warriors within six points, the closest they had been since early in the second quarter.
Golden State’s comeback attempt fell short. Former Warriors guard Damion Lee, who was presented his ring pregame by his brother-in-law Curry, knocked down a pair of free throws to pad the Suns lead. He finished with 22 points, going a perfect 14-for-14 from the free throw line.
Klay Thompson led the Warriors in scoring with 29 points. Poole had a quiet start of the game before scoring 25 of his 27 points in the second half, going 4-for-7 from deep.
Curry, playing under a minutes restriction, had a slow start in his first game since partially dislocating his left, non-dominant shoulder Dec. 14. He scored only eight points in the first three quarters before going off for 16 in the fourth.
Phoenix closed out the first quarter on a 10-0 run to give itself a 31-26 lead after one and that advantage expanded to 14 at the half. The energy in Chase Center was sucked out of the building in the third quarter but was reignited in the fourth with a gutsy showing by the Warriors. The Suns did a good job preventing the Warriors from scoring inside and outscored the home team 48-34 in the paint.
The Warriors have lost three straight and enter the halfway point of their season below .500.
They’ll open a five-game road trip Friday in San Antonio.
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