Suns top Warriors after near late collapse, Chris Paul ejected by referee Scott Foster in return

The Phoenix Suns revisited their fourth-quarter struggles, Chris Paul made an early exit in his return and Chick-fil-A never sounded so good to the sellout crowd of 17,071 at Footprint Center.

The Suns (9-6) survived a Golden State comeback in winning a fifth straight game, 123-115, Wednesday night in the second of a back-to-back after leading by as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter.

With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson watching from the bench, Draymond Green still suspended and Paul tossed by referee Scott Foster after a heated exchange and two technical fouls , Golden State (7-9) went on a 19-7 run to pull within six with 57.6 seconds left.

The Warriors had a chance to make the difference four as Devin Booker was called for a foul boxing out Tracye Jackson-Davis with 40.7 seconds left.-

Suns coach Frank Vogel challenged the call, but it was unsuccessful.

Jackson-Davis, a rookie, wound up missing both free throws much to the delight of the fans – and their stomachs. Fans receive a free Chick-fil-A sandwich if an opposing player misses two free throws in the fourth.

The Warriors got it down to three with 19 seconds left as Kevin Durant’s turnover and technical foul for throwing the ball into the stanchion in frustration led to three Warriors points.

“You got to respect it, but most of that stuff is on me,” Durant said. “You can't throw that turnover to Book, you can't throw the ball against the stanchion. I just got to be smarter."

Booker and Durant closed the game by making free throws. The Suns lived there Wednesday, going 44-of-52 from the line. The Suns last attempted 50-plus free throws in a game back in November 2008.

Golden State’s reserves played hard, threw out a triangle-and-two defense the Suns hadn’t seen and Vogel was caught in between letting his bench close and reinserting the starters.

Booker’s response to all those variables is simple.

“We have to be better,” he said.

Durant posted a fifth consecutive 30-point game to match the win streak as he finished with 32 points, eight rebounds and two assists to six turnovers while Booker collected his second double-double in Phoenix’s last four games – 25 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

Paul ended his abbreviated night with six points and six assists in 17 minutes.

The Suns (9-6) play their final NBA In-Season Tournament group play game Friday at Memphis (3-11) still in the hunt for a ‘wild card’ spot in the ‘knock out round’ or quarterfinals.

Here are some things we learned in Wednesday's win:

Suns still not safe in fourth quarter

This was clearly a weird game for Vogel and the Suns.

It was not only the second of a back-to-back, but the Portland win was closer than it should’ve been.

The Suns shouldn’t have needed Durant to play 37 minutes and Booker, who is on a minute restriction or range, to log 33 minutes against one of the worst teams in the league.

So, they go into the second of back-to-back, go up by as many as 23 points and are ahead by 18 midway through the fourth.

That’s good reason to go to the bench, especially when the Warriors did the same thing.

The difference is Golden State’s backups got some momentum while the Suns backups looked like they were trying to get through it.

Now, Drew Eubanks was out with an ankle injury. The Suns went with Chimezie Metu, as Vogel explained, when Jusuf Nurkic had four fouls, but to only play him 56 seconds late in the fourth was odd.

Still, Vogel was thinking, second of back-to-back, rest Booker and Durant, comfortably win and get ready for a long flight to Memphis for a third game in four days to begin a three-game road trip.

The Warriors scored 40 points in the quarter and forced Vogel to go back to Booker and Durant with 1:48 left in the game and Phoenix up six.

Golden State had other ideas.

The Suns have showed improvement on closing games after those collapses against the Lakers and Spurs, but this one further shows their bench isn’t consistently what it needs to be.

Even with injured Bradley Beal out, the Suns reverted back to turnovers and questionable shot selection in the fourth.

Nassir Little and Durant took 3s while up six late with the Warriors having no rim protection. The zone is one thing, but the Suns can get even better, closer shots against the Warriors backups – and get to the line.

Phoenix committed eight of their 15 turnovers in the fourth that led to 15 Golden State points.

That can’t and shouldn’t happen.

Free throw line favoring Suns

A handful of their free throws came off technical fouls to Paul and Warriors coach Steve Kerr, but the Suns attempted 52 free throws and are fourth in the NBA in free throw attempts at 26.7 a game.

It used to take the Suns three, maybe four games, to reach 50-plus attempts. They were next to last in free throw attempts in 2020-21 in averaging 18.7 attempts.

They’ve finished the last two season 27^th in the league in attempts.

What’s changed?

Let’s start with Durant. He has residency at the line – 15-of-15 Wednesday. Booker has improved in drawing fouls – hoisted 14, missed only one. Those two alone matched the number of free throws Golden State attempted (19-of-29).

Revisit this number a month from now.

Paul-Foster add chapter to tense history

Paul’s night started with him receiving hugs and smiles from those who got to know him during his three-year run with the Suns.

Staff. Coaches. Fans.

He then received cheers during the playing of his tribute video right before tipoff. Don't think Paul was actually on the court to see it, but sure someone will flag it down for him to check out and remind him of his impact on the franchise.

Veteran referee Scott Foster was probably the last thing on his mind at the tip.

Oh, how things can change in a half.

Paul got into a verbal exchange with Foster and got ejected after getting hit with two technical fouls by someone who is viewed as his nemesis late in the half.

Paul had to be restrained by Curry.

Kerr later got a technical foul.

This isn’t how his return to Phoenix since being traded in the offseason as part of the Bradley Beal deal was supposed to end, but not a total surprise when looking at the history between the two.

Josh Okogie, Booker and Durant all said they saw this coming.

Paul had lost 13 consecutive playoff games with Foster as a referee, but in addressing what happened, Paul said it's personal between he and the referee and that it's related to his son.

That's a family layer to their history. They just added a chapter to it Wednesday night.

Damion Lee update

Damion Lee remains on crutches after having surgery to repair the right meniscus in his knee, but Vogel said the veteran guard is a couple of weeks away from being off the crutches.

He injured his knee in an on-court workout before training camp and had surgery Oct. 11. He wasn’t wearing as brace on his knee while sitting courtside before Wednesday’s game.

Vogel said Wednesday he hopes to have Lee back by the end of the season. He's a locker room guy who can hit 3s. Can't have enough guys who can spread the floor.

Beal (low back strain) and Yuta Watanabe (left quad contusion) remain out as well.

Watanabe has missed the last three games after taking a knee to the thigh during a pickup game with Suns teammates Saturday during an off day before beating the Jazz on Sunday in Salt Lake City.

Beal has been out since tweaking his back again Nov. 12 against Oklahoma City.

The three-time All-Star was looking to play a fourth straight game Nov. 15 at Minnesota after missing the first seven with low back issues. Phoenix had two days between games, but Beal work up the morning of the matchup against Minnesota with “residual tightness” in his back, Vogel said.

The Suns announced last Friday he’d be out three weeks to rehab his back before begin re-evaluated.

One last thing

Booker has mostly led by example, but he’s been more vocal this season – in a different way.

He’s had his moments of challenging players or telling them where to be, but it’s usually very direct.

Not like Paul, but direct.

Booker is still doing that, but is also taking the time to put him around Grayson Allen’s shoulder and talk to him in a calm, relaxed manner.

Paul has always talked about learning how to talk to certain people.

He’d say, you can yell at some, but that doesn’t work with everybody.

Booker may be doing the same now.

He saw up close Paul's leadership style and appears to have taken heed to it.

Have opinions about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns down Golden State Warriors behind Kevin Durant hot scoring, Chris Paul ejected