Suns' Jalen Green Masterpiece Crushes Warriors, Set to Face Defending Champion Thunder in Playoffs
The Phoenix Suns defeated the Golden State Warriors 111-96 in a crucial Western Conference play-in game, securing their spot in the NBA playoffs. Jalen Green led the Suns with 36 points. As the 8th seed, the Suns will now challenge the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 18, 2026 at 14:18
- 🔍 Collected: April 18, 2026 at 14:31 (12 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 18, 2026 at 22:07 (7h 35m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Phoenix, 17th, comprehensive foreign report) The NBA Western Conference Phoenix Suns today competed with the Golden State Warriors for the final playoff spot. The entire team, led by Jalen Green's outstanding performance of 36 points, defeated the Warriors 111-96 to advance. They will now challenge the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In the battle for the 8th seed in the Western Conference between the Suns and the Warriors, the Suns, with relatively more available players, immediately put pressure on the Warriors at the start. Dillon Brooks and Devin Booker led the team to a 33-15 lead in the first quarter. However, the Warriors narrowed the gap in the second quarter with the efforts of Brandin Podziemski, who contributed 12 points for the Warriors in the first half. He also supported the Warriors in the first half of their previous game against the Clippers.
In the second quarter, Jalen Green took over to pressure the opponent, scoring 14 points in the first half, the highest among both teams. The Suns entered halftime with a 50-45 lead, while Warriors' shooter Stephen Curry had 7 points.
After halftime, the Suns maintained a small lead. The injured Kristaps Porzingis stepped up to score for the Warriors. However, Green's hot hand continuously scored, and the gap between the two teams began to widen, with the Suns slowly extending their lead.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Warriors, with outside support from Curry, were still able to maintain a certain distance from the Suns. But then Green continued his hot shooting from the third quarter, with long-range and close-range shots, not only breaking his personal score past 30 but also allowing the Suns to maintain a stable double-digit lead. Although Podziemski made contributions, the Suns still held a 15-point advantage in the final 3 minutes.
As the game entered its final stages, although the Warriors tried to catch up, the Suns consistently maintained a certain lead, ultimately defeating the Warriors 111-96. Green scored 36 points in this representative performance, shooting 8-for-14 from three-point range; another key player, Booker, also had 20 points. As for the Warriors, Podziemski led with 23 points, and the tireless veteran Curry also contributed 17 points.
The Suns have never won an NBA championship and did not make the playoffs last year. The year before, they were swept in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. This year, the entire team advanced as the 8th seed in the Western Conference, and their opponent will be the Thunder, who had the best regular-season record. (Compiled by Qu Xiangping) 1150418
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(Central News Agency, Phoenix, 17th, comprehensive foreign report) The NBA Western Conference Phoenix Suns today competed with the Golden State Warriors for the final playoff spot. The entire team, led by Jalen Green's outstanding performance of 36 points, defeated the Warriors 111-96 to advance. They will now challenge the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In the battle for the 8th seed in the Western Conference between the Suns and the Warriors, the Suns, with relatively more available players, immediately put pressure on the Warriors at the start. Dillon Brooks and Devin Booker led the team to a 33-15 lead in the first quarter. However, the Warriors narrowed the gap in the second quarter with the efforts of Brandin Podziemski, who contributed 12 points for the Warriors in the first half. He also supported the Warriors in the first half of their previous game against the Clippers.
In the second quarter, Jalen Green took over to pressure the opponent, scoring 14 points in the first half, the highest among both teams. The Suns entered halftime with a 50-45 lead, while Warriors' shooter Stephen Curry had 7 points.
After halftime, the Suns maintained a small lead. The injured Kristaps Porzingis stepped up to score for the Warriors. However, Green's hot hand continuously scored, and the gap between the two teams began to widen, with the Suns slowly extending their lead.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Warriors, with outside support from Curry, were still able to maintain a certain distance from the Suns. But then Green continued his hot shooting from the third quarter, with long-range and close-range shots, not only breaking his personal score past 30 but also allowing the Suns to maintain a stable double-digit lead. Although Podziemski made contributions, the Suns still held a 15-point advantage in the final 3 minutes.
As the game entered its final stages, although the Warriors tried to catch up, the Suns consistently maintained a certain lead, ultimately defeating the Warriors 111-96. Green scored 36 points in this representative performance, shooting 8-for-14 from three-point range; another key player, Booker, also had 20 points. As for the Warriors, Podziemski led with 23 points, and the tireless veteran Curry also contributed 17 points.
The Suns have never won an NBA championship and did not make the playoffs last year. The year before, they were swept in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. This year, the entire team advanced as the 8th seed in the Western Conference, and their opponent will be the Thunder, who had the best regular-season record. (Compiled by Qu Xiangping) 1150418
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you provide is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to grasp the latest news in real-time.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.