Warriors searching for answers in rematch with volatile Suns

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The wildly unpredictable Dillon Brooks show heads to San Francisco on Saturday night when the Golden State Warriors get a rematch with the Phoenix Suns.

Devin Booker had 25 points and Jordan Goodwin dropped in a game-winning free throw in the final second as the Suns overcame a Warriors rally and a controversial finish to prevail 99-98 on the front end of a home-and-home Thursday night in Phoenix.

Afterward, more people were talking about the antics of Brooks than a questionable foul with four-tenths of a second remaining on the Warriors' Moses Moody, one Golden State coach Steve Kerr described as being, "hard to believe that the game was decided on that call."

Brooks helped keep the Warriors' flickering hopes alive when he poked Stephen Curry in the stomach after the Golden State star had misfired on a 3-point attempt with his team down 96-91 with just 38.3 seconds left.

Brooks was assessed a flagrant foul, after which Curry made two free throws and the Warriors retained possession of the ball.

When Jimmy Butler III drilled a 3-pointer two seconds later to tie the score, the game seemed headed to overtime before Goodwin, having rebounded a backboard-only miss by Brooks from beyond the arc, appeared to have been fouled by Moody while attempting an awkward follow shot.

Brooks, who had a run-in with LeBron James during the NBA Cup last week, was apologetic about his behavior afterward.

"I've got to do some soul-searching at home," Brooks assured reporters after Thursday's game. "It's the second time, but I'll learn from it. I'll figure it out. Just got to figure it out for the next game so I don't do something that will put our team in a bad spot."

Brooks' run-in with the Warriors wasn't his first. He was suspended for one game during the 2022 playoffs while with Memphis after knocking Gary Payton II to the floor and fracturing his elbow. Last season, he admitted to swiping at Curry's injured thumb during the Golden State-Houston playoff series.

At his postgame press conference, Curry labeled Brooks' most recent assault "bush league," before quickly turning his attention to more important things that have been ailing the Warriors during a three-game losing streak that dropped the team below .500.

"If you're gonna be a good team, you're able to overcome all of that," he said of issues such as a tough early-season travel schedule, an inconsistent lineup and events like the late foul call Thursday. "We're obviously not a good team right now because of what our record says."

Curry finished the game with just 15 points, harassed into 3-for-13 shooting overall and 2-for-9 on 3-point attempts.

Universally projected not to be a playoff contender this season in the Western Conference, the Suns will take the court Saturday 2 1/2 games ahead of the Warriors, who were considered by some to be a title contender at the start of the year.

Phoenix, which was beaten 118-107 at Golden State last month, has road wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves already in December.

--Field Level Media