Suns Not Backing Down From Stephen Curry, Warriors Challenge

PHOENIX -- It's win or go home tonight for the Phoenix Suns against the Golden State Warriors in the final Western Conference play-in matchup as the Suns look to get back into the playoffs after missing them last season.

The winner of tonight's game will advance to play the No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder, and Game 1 of the first-round matchup will tip of around 12:30 p.m. MST.

After exceeding all preseason expectations with a 45-37 record in the regular season, Phoenix has one more opportunity to prove it belongs in the playoffs after a disappointing 114-110 loss in the 7-8 matchup on Tuesday against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Suns will look to avoid being the first No. 7 seed to miss the playoffs in the play-in era, but will face a tall task against the No. 10 Warriors, who are much better than their 37-45 record suggests with Stephen Curry back in the lineup after he missed 39 games during the regular season.

Curry led Golden State to an incredible comeback victory over the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night with 35 points to help the Warriors advance to this game.

Here's what the Suns said at practice yesterday ahead of tonight's do-or-die matchup.

Dillon Brooks Looking Forward to Playing Warriors

Dec 18, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) against Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Tonight's game means a little more for Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green after Golden State upset their Houston Rockets team as the No. 7 seed in the first round last year.

Brooks said this after practice yesterday when asked how he prepared for both the Warriors and the Clippers:

"I think (the matchup) mattered to some people like myself. I would like to see the Warriors, but I think we were ready for both. Now, that we know it's the Warriors, (it's a) good stepping stone for us figuring out."

Why does Brooks want to face the Warriors?

"Steph and Draymond (Green). And Steve Kerr," Brooks said.

He added on Curry: "One of the best players ever to do it. Who else you want to go against in an elimination game? He's proven it over the years, and they've been battle-tested in every way possible. So it's a good matchup for us."

Brooks has history that dates back even further with the Warriors, including in the 2022 Western Conference semifinals when he was suspended for Game 3 after a flagrant foul that broke Gary Payton II's elbow.

During last season's series against Golden State, Brooks admitted that he was going after Curry's then-injured thumb.

"I think it matters to some people like myself. I would like to see the Warriors."

Dillon Brooks on prepping for Warriors and Clippers as they played last night.

Golden State won, face Suns for 8th seed.

Why Warriors?

"Steph and Draymond. And Steve Kerr." #Suns #DubNation pic.twitter.com/anPSzKBapg
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) April 16, 2026

How Suns Plan to Slow Down Steph Curry, Warriors

Apr 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) heads down court after a three-point basket in the first half against the Los Angeles Clippers during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The No. 1 objective for the Suns tonight defensively will be trying to contain Curry and not let him have one of his signature outbursts, like he did against the Clippers with 27 second-half points.

"Looked like the same Steph Curry," Suns coach Jordan Ott said of Curry. "You can guard him for how many ever minutes you think you're guarding him, and then all of a sudden, an explosion happens.

"And, everyone has to try the same game plan with him, try to take him off the three point line. And he somehow does it night after night in the biggest moment. So not really a surprise. We've seen him do it many times before."

Ott detailed more on how the Suns plan to stop Curry after Jordan Goodwin and Collin Gillespie did a decent job defending him earlier in the year.

"That's the challenge. (His off-ball movement and fighting through screens) just never stops. So it's not only just the guy on the ball, it's the screeners defender as well (who) has to be super alert," Ott said. "Just when you think you have him under control, he comes out from the baseline side. And they obviously have incredible screeners too.

"It's gonna take five guys. It's not just one guy. We'll have a primary on him, for sure, but if you got to do it, you got to do it for all 48 (minutes). I think that's the mental resilience you need to have at this time of year. Even our game and last night's game, you could see the highs and lows and in the runs that teams went on. You got to somehow overcome all those to get to the finish line for the full 48."

Brooks said the Warriors present a different challenge on the offensive side of the ball than what the Clippers would have after Golden State shot 56.6% from the floor and 46.3% from 3-point range against L.A., getting contributions up and down its eight-man rotation.

"A lot of off ball movement, lot of sharing the basketball, not really stagnant. So, we're gonna have to steer them together, so we can get switches properly and force them to play iso basketball," Brooks said.

Suns Looking to Rebound from Tough Loss to Blazers

Apr 14, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) celebrates with Ryan Dunn (0) against the Portland Trail Blazers in the second half during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Perhaps the most important part of tonight for the Suns will be trying to put Tuesday's tough loss behind them after they blew an 11-point fourth quarter lead.

"We had that game, we was supposed to win that game, but it's learning, and sometimes in a season, you got to learn," Brooks said. "You got to take roles. You got to figure out things. But luckily, we put ourselves in a position to be (the seventh seed), so we got a second try at it and what (a) perfect world we playing Golden State."

Suns forward Royce O'Neale discussed what he felt went wrong in the loss.

"A couple of small details according to the game plan, I think we had a couple of mishaps that cost us down the line," O'Neale said. "Rebounding was a big emphasis down the line, especially when we went small. Little things that we can clean up."

Phoenix has to find a way to overcome its fourth-quarter woes as well after the Suns ranked last in offensive rating (107.4), 26th in net rating (-5.9) and 25th in field-goal percentage (44.3%) in the fourth during the regular season.

“That's been the story of the end of our season so far. We just need to remain aggressive. We get a little lead and kind of slow down a little bit, and that's not what got us the lead in the first place. Just continue to play the next action and continue to play faster,” Suns star Devin Booker said of Phoenix not being able to maintain consistent effort after Tuesday's loss.

Ott was unwilling to go away from playing a smaller lineup against the bigger Trail Blazers, but the Warriors, on paper, do not possess the same threat in that area.

Nevertheless, the Suns have to be willing to lay it all on the line tonight against a highly-experienced team, so we will see what they have up their sleeve tonight.

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