Golden State Warriors: 3 Pivotal games are approaching

Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors (March 4)

The Phoenix Suns are a perfect example of how quickly one single-stretch of games can change your franchises’ trajectory. An 8-0 run in the Orlando Bubble gave Phoenix the courage to trade for Chris Paul and the confidence to be a bonafide contender midway through the season.

Phoenix sits in fourth place right now and has won six straight. They are playing like a fun, exuberant young team that plays defense and can score in the halfcourt due to elite playmaking from Paul and surgical decision making from Devin Booker.

Booker didn’t play in the Dubs’ first meeting with the Suns this year but he’s been on a prolific run since Orlando. He’s averaging 28.3 points in their streak and making winning plays on a nightly basis. He will likely play in round two, giving Kelly Oubre or Andrew Wiggins the task of defending him.

What makes this even more difficult is how many wing defenders the Suns can throw at Stephen Curry. From Chris Paul to Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder, there is no shortage of quality guys the Suns can use to disrupt Curry. This is a big reason the Suns defeated Golden State 114-93 in their first showdown.

While the Suns seem like they will continue to separate themselves from the rest of the pack, there’s no telling how important a win over Phoenix could be in the final standings. The Warriors are still in a position to fight for homecourt advantage for the playoffs and beating Phoenix is a good way to start the final stretch of the season.