NBA 2023-24: Devin Booker, Suns slide by Warriors to open season

Devin Booker capped a game-high 32-point performance with three key assists down the stretch on Tuesday night, allowing the Phoenix Suns to get past the Golden State Warriors for a 108-104 victory.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives to the basket between Phoenix Suns forward Josh Okogie (2) and guard Devin Booker (1) during the second half of an NBA basketball game. | Photo Credit: AP

Devin Booker capped a game-high 32-point performance with three key assists down the stretch on Tuesday night, allowing the Phoenix Suns to get past the Golden State Warriors for a 108-104 victory in San Francisco on the NBA’s opening night.

A seesaw affair was a one-point game in the Suns’ favor before Booker found Josh Okogie in the left corner for a 3-pointer that opened a 103-99 lead with 1:09 to play.

Stephen Curry countered with two free throws, but Booker then drew the defense and spotted Eric Gordon open for another 3-pointer, this one creating a five-point difference with just 44.7 seconds left.

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Golden State, which lost three of four games to Phoenix last season, came back one more time on a Curry 3-pointer off an offensive rebound to get within 106-104 with 31.4 seconds left.

But after a timeout, the ball found its way to Booker, who this time drilled a completion to Jusuf Nurkic for a layup that produced the game’s final points with 10.3 seconds remaining.

The assists were Nos. 6, 7 and 8 for Booker, who played without new backcourt sidekick Bradley Beal, out with a back injury.

Kevin Durant chipped in with an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double for Phoenix, and Nurkic had a double-double of his own with 14 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

Okogie, whose late 3-pointer came on his only attempt of the game from beyond the arc, finished with 17 points, while Gordon, who missed his first seven 3-point attempts before making the last two, contributed 10 points off the bench.

The Suns outscored the Warriors 33-30 on 3-pointers despite taking 10 fewer attempts (43-33).

Curry paced six Warriors in double figures with 27 points but misfired on 10 of his 14 3-point tries.

Klay Thompson had 15 points, Chris Paul added 14 to complement a game-high nine assists and reserve Jonathan Kuminga scored 12 points for the Warriors, who were without Draymond Green (ankle).

Phoenix built a 15-point lead by halftime thanks in large part to 21 points from Booker before the break. But Golden State rallied in the third quarter, putting together a colossal 21-2 run that gave it a 73-66 lead with 5:00 to go until the fourth.