Durant, Booker help Suns beat skidding Warriors 123-115 after Chris Paul ejection
Kevin Durant scored 32 points, Devin Booker added 25 and the Phoenix Suns won their fifth straight game by beating the Golden State Warriors 123-115 on Wednesday night.
The Suns had a 23-point lead midway through the third quarter, but the Warriors managed to cut the advantage to 118-115 with 19 seconds left after Durant was called for a technical foul. Booker made a pair of free throws with 12.4 seconds left to thwart the rally.
Durant and Booker combined to go 28 for 29 on free throws.
The Warriors have lost seven of their past eight games, falling to 7-9 for the season.
Golden State point guard Chris Paul was ejected by referee Scott Foster in his return to the desert after receiving two technicals late in the second quarter for arguing. He finished with six points and six assists.
Paul and and Foster have a long, acrimonious history, with the point guard complaining about Foster's officiating for years.
Warriors team personnel had to get between Paul and Foster before the guard left the court. Golden State coach Steve Kerr was also assessed a technical by Foster.
The Warriors were already without forward Draymond Green, who was recently suspended five games by the NBA after grabbing Rudy Gobert around the neck.
Paul played the past three years for the Suns, helping the team advance to the NBA Finals in 2021. The 38-year-old was traded to the Wizards — and promptly dealt to the Warriors — as part of the trade that brought Bradley Beal to the desert during the offseason.
The Suns played a tribute video for Paul, a 12-time All-Star, before the game.
Klay Thompson led Golden State with 23 points, while Dario Saric added 17 and Stephen Curry had 16.
Phoenix led the entire second half, pushing its advantage to 83-60 on Eric Gordon's free throw halfway through the third quarter. The Suns settled for a 16-point lead heading into the fourth.
It was a strange final quarter, with both teams playing mostly backups. Curry and Thompson were both on the bench as the Warriors made their late push, and Suns coach Frank Vogel was forced to put Booker and Durant back to close the game.
The Warriors — playing without the suspended Draymond Green — took a 31-26 lead after one quarter. The Suns recovered quickly and took a 63-47 lead by halftime, partly thanks to three extra free throws as compensation for all of the Warriors' technical fouls.
UP NEXT
Warriors: Host San Antonio on Friday.
Suns: Travel to face Memphis on Friday.