Is this Warriors team good enough to just give away the first quarter and go to work in the next three? I don't think so. But it's been a common theme during their now five-game winning streak following their 116-113 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
In four of those five wins, the Warriors found themselves trailing after the first 12 minutes. In two of the last three, they faced a double-digit deficit at the end of the first quarter. Over their last three games overall, the Warriors have been outscored 106-63 in the first quarter, a -43-point differential. They trailed by 23 points against the Lakers, then by eight points against the Clippers, and finally by 12 points against the Suns on Monday night at Chase Center.
The good news, though, is that so far they've always managed to flip the game on its head and recover from those early blows. From the second quarter to the final frame, the Warriors have outscored their opponents 289-214, a +75-point differential. In their last win over Phoenix, they turned a 17-point second-quarter deficit into a three-point win.
The Suns were expected to get off to a strong start. They came into the game having played just four total games compared to the Warriors' seven and were coming off a two-day break. Golden State survived their intense defensive pressure by taking good care of the ball – committing just six first-half turnovers – but failed to properly execute offensively, heading into halftime down six points.
On the second night of a back-to-back, Golden State needed a jolt of energy. Ironically, Draymond Green provided it by getting ejected after throwing Suns center Khaman Maluach to the floor and grappling with Dillon Brooks, receiving two technical fouls in the process. That was his first ejection of the season and the 26th of his career, the most among current players.
"He lit a fire in all of us and we had to respond," Steph Curry said of the ejection.
Charles Bassey answered the call after Green’s ejection
Two minutes into the third quarter, backup center Charles Bassey subbed in for the ejected Green and injected immediate energy. Less than 30 seconds after he checked in, he turned an offensive rebound into an and-one putback layup. Within another half a minute, he found Steph Curry for a three. All the while, he was fighting on the defensive glass. The Warriors went on a 14-5 run from the moment he supplanted Green with 10:00 left in the third until he subbed out at the 7:04 mark.
A constant presence on defense and a lob threat on offense, Bassey – with veteran Al Horford also unavailable – finished with a career-high 19 points and eight rebounds. His connection with Yaxel Lendeborg stood out. Four of the rookie's five assists were cashed in by the big man.
"When he sees the pass, he makes the right play," Bassey said. "I love playing with him."
Yax lobs, Bassey slams 🔥 pic.twitter.com/G80fU1qv7z
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 3, 2026
It's been a long and arduous journey for the Nigerian big man. Now, after his first years in professional basketball got marred by injuries, he's finally starting to reap some of the reward. He played on five 10-day contracts between the Memphis Grizzlies, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers last season – appearing in just eight NBA games – before eventually signing a contract with the Warriors in April. Golden State liked what they saw during his short stint with the team and re-signed him in July. Staying ready has been his motto. On Monday night, he was.
"He was phenomenal," Georges Niang said of Bassey's performance. "That kid's been chomping at the bit to get his opportunity and took full advantage. We needed him tonight and we needed every last point that he gave us and rebound and he was phenomenal, so credit to him, he's prepared for a long time for this and he deserves the glory tonight."
Lifted by Bassey's boost, the Warriors put up 42 points in the third quarter, their highest-scoring quarter of the season. Curry contributed 18 of his 34 points in the period. Brandin Podziemski had another second-half surge, scoring 10 of his 20 points in the third. And Georges Niang made some huge plays on both ends of the floor, chipping in 13 points, four rebounds and three assists while posting a +20 in his 22 minutes of action.
Following the Warriors' burst in the third, the game remained a close affair throughout the fourth quarter. It all boiled down to defense and free throws for the Warriors. With 1:51 left and Golden State up by three points, Curry made his best Gary Payton II impression by picking off Devin Booker and earning Podziemski two free throws, both of which he converted. On the next possession, De'Anthony Melton had a strip of his own and later drew an offensive foul on Booker. A Yaxel Lendeborg block on Jalen Green made it four consecutive stops.
With the game on the line, Curry went to the charity stripe twice. He knocked down the two free throws from his first trip to give the Warriors a three-point lead with seven seconds left on the clock. Then, with an opportunity to put the game away for good, Curry – who had made all 51 of his free throws on the season at that point – missed the second free throw of his final trip, giving Phoenix a last chance to send the game to overtime. With no timeouts, the Suns could only attempt a half-court heave. Collin Gillespie airballed it.
"Oh, absolutely," Curry said when asked if he knew he was a perfect 51-for-51 from the line at that point. "I'm shocked when I miss anytime," he continued when asked if he was surprised he missed the free throw.
It hasn't always been pretty. The slow starts have remained a major issue. But the Warriors have now turned an 0-3 start into a five-game winning streak, a feat they failed to accomplish throughout last season. Kerr praised the team's competitive spirit after getting punched in the mouth early and how much better they've gotten since their first three games. Curry described this team's identity as scrappy and loved the contributions from up and down the roster.
So how real does this streak feel to Kerr?
"It feels very real."
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