Looking back at why the Golden State Warriors collapsed in their opening match against Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns

For the first time since leaving the Golden State Warriors in 2019, Kevin Durant was welcomed by fans at Chase Center.

For the first time since leaving the Golden State Warriors in 2019, Kevin Durant was welcomed by fans at Chase Center.

“It’s nice to be recognized for the work you’ve put in. It’s nice to see people I haven’t seen in a while, some familiar faces,” Durant shared after the match. “Warriors fans have nothing but love and respect for me. Couldn’t ask for anything more.”

That doesn’t mean KD is lenient on his old team. He scored 18 points, achieving a 7-22 performance, while Devin Booker launched a turning point shot with 4 minutes and 51 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The defender contributed 32 points to the Phoenix Suns’ 108-104 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

On the other side of the front line, Stephen Curry scored 27 points. The 35-year-old star scored seven consecutive points at the beginning of the third quarter to shorten the score to 61-64 and force Phoenix to take a timeout. Golden State opened the third quarter with a 27-5 run, while the Suns only shot 2-14 in the same period.

But that’s not enough. Jusuf Nurkic, who contributed 14 points and 14 rebounds, made the basket in the final seconds of his Suns debut. Josh Okogie hit a long throw with 1 minute and 9 seconds left in the game, and Eric Gordon did the same with 45 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

The finishing shots helped Phoenix win narrowly, and overshadowed Chris Paul’s debut. The Warriors’ new signing contributed 14 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds.