Warriors Notes: Defense, with Klay Thompson’s win over the Suns

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors haven’t racked up many outright wins this season, but their 123-112 defeat of the Phoenix Suns on Monday closed a home run in exhilarating fashion.

The victory moved Golden State (36-33) down to fifth in the Western Conference standings and raised their Chase Center record to 29-7.

The Warriors shot 54.2 percent from the field, including 48.7 percent from long range, as Klay Thompson fired home for a game-high 38 points, while Stephen Curry finished with 23 and Jordan Paul added 20.

Here are three notes from a game in which the Warriors avoided a season-ending four-game sweep of fourth-place Phoenix and put them 1.5 games behind the Suns:

Remember: When the defense cooks, the offense eats

The lessons of the first 67 games may have finally been learned. The Warriors led for the second straight game in the second quarter.

And this time the margin was huge: 43-21.

Thompson’s scoring is going to get a lot of love, deservedly, but it was Golden State’s defense that once again set the tone for the first quarter. The Suns missed their first four shots and seven of their first 10. This, along with four turnovers, allowed the Warriors to take a 22-7 lead in just over six minutes.

While confining Phoenix to 38.1 percent shooting from the field for the quarter, the Warriors on fire were at 72.7 percent and leading by as much as 25 points.

This is a dramatic change for a team that had a lot of trouble in the first quarters. Credit the defense, which forced six turnovers, for fueling much of the offense.

After a 28-26 first-quarter lead over the Bucks on Saturday, this is the first time since February 4 that the Warriors have won the first quarter in back-to-back games.

Great first half for Clay

Anyone who has watched the Warriors over the past 11 years has seen Clay Nuclear many times, yet the sight of it always sends a current of electricity through the building, especially when it’s their yard.

Klay’s “splashathon,” no matter how often, is still something to watch, and it was on full display for the first half, providing the sold-out audience with several moments of ecstasy.

Thompson destroyed the Suns for 33 points—the highest total of any Warrior in any half this season—on 12 of 18 shooting from the field, including 8 of 12 from outside the arc.

With his usual assortment of shots on Klay’s heater, including improbable launches that reached the bottom of the net, he took 16 of Golden State’s first 24 points, personally besting Phoenix 16-9 at that point.

Clay finished with 38 points (14 of 23, 8 of 14) but still managed to make his mark in a game where he scored only five points in the second half.

“Spurtability” matters

The Warriors led by as much as 25 points and seemed on their way to a complete blowout for Phoenix’s missing Kevin Durant. But of course, it wouldn’t be neat and clean.

After chopping the margin to 17 in the half, the Suns continued their offense in the third quarter, coming within nine (80-71) with 7:40 left in the quarter and coming within three (85-82) with 4:32 left in the quarter.

Simply put, the Suns took advantage of Golden State’s low density.

Related: Kerr thinks she’s “nuts” Durant hasn’t yet played in front of fans at the Chase

However, the Warriors recovered well by closing out the quarter on an 11-4 run and taking a 98-88 lead.

This spurt was enough to take most of Will from the Suns, as the Warriors held a double-digit lead throughout the fourth quarter to increase the victory.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast