Warriors at Suns
The Golden State Warriors entered the season with great expectations but were embarrassed in the opener by the San Antonio Spurs and upset with their performance in victory on Friday. The Warriors will try to put everything together on both ends of the court when they continue their road trip by visiting the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
Golden State got into the win column with a 122-114 victory at New Orleans on Friday, but were missing the offensive flow that defined the team the previous two seasons and again struggled on the defensive end. "We're going to have to get so much better," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "You can see how much work we have ahead. We have plenty of talent but talent is not going to be enough." The Suns got a look at a prodigious talent on Friday in the player Kevin Durant left to join up with Golden State - Oklahoma City superstar guard Russell Westbrook. Phoenix battled the game into overtime on the road but in the end could not overcome Westbrook's 51-point triple-double in a 113-110 setback.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (Golden State), FSN Arizona (Phoenix)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (1-1): Golden State did show some signs of improvement from the first game to the second, pulling within 58-53 of the Pelicans on the glass after getting crushed on the boards 64-40 by the Spurs on Tuesday. Durant was the best of the bunch with 17 rebounds to go along with 30 points, six assists, two steals and two blocks. Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia each pulled down 11 boards, and the Warriors totaled 32 assists on 44 made field goals after handing out 24 assists in the opener.
ABOUT THE SUNS (0-2): Phoenix improved from its first game to its second as well, pushing Westbrook and company to overtime on Friday after getting run off the floor by the Sacramento Kings in a 113-94 home loss on Wednesday. "There’s a reason why I love those guys in that locker room – the way they compete, the way they battle," Suns coach Earl Watson told the Arizona Republic. "That’s the team I know." Small forward T.J. Warren had a quiet 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting in the opener but broke out for 30 points on 13-of-18 on Friday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Warriors rookie PG Patrick McCaw left Friday's game with a sprained left ankle and is day-to-day.
2. The Suns are 9-of-44 from 3-point range in the first two games.
3. Golden State took the last seven in the series and won the four meetings last season by an average of 14.8 points.