Warriors' painful season ends with loss to Suns in play-in, Green ejection

Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News on Apr 18, 2026

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PHOENIX – For a brief moment at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Friday, the Golden State Warriors looked like they would do it again.

They rallied from an 18-point first-quarter deficit to trail by just five at halftime against the Suns in the win-or-go-home play-in game.

When the Suns went back up by 16 after NorCal native Jalen Green caught fire from behind the arc, Steph Curry and Draymond Green helped lead the Warriors to another comeback to cut the deficit to single-digits going into the fourth quarter.

The Warriors had just pulled off the biggest win of their season on Wednesday, a comeback victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, and Curry and Draymond Green closed it out with vintage shot making and defensive stands that will live in the highlight reel for the rest of time.

Did the Warriors have another dose of play-in magic left in their traveling bag, one with a destination in top-seeded Oklahoma City?

A NorCal native who grew up watching the Warriors made sure the answer was “no” as the Suns defeated the Warriors 111-96. Fresno’s own and Prolific Prep-Napa alum Jalen Green scored a game-high 36 and made eight 3-pointers for the Suns and kept Golden State at bay.

Steph Curry, limping around the court for much of the second half, shot just 4 of 15 and scored 17 points, while De’Anthony Melton scored 16 off the bench in what was possibly his final game for the Warriors.

Draymond Green scored five, grabbed five rebounds and had six assists before fouling out with a minute remaining in a long-decided game. Green embraced Curry and coach Steve Kerr after walking to the sidelines. He and Devin Booker then got two quick technical fouls and were thrown out of the game after the pair jawed at one another.

Jordan Goodwin played the game of his life for the Suns, scoring 19 points, gabbing nine rebounds as starting center Mark Williams was ruled out with injury, and guarding Steph Curry for most of the game.

The Warriors simply, at the end of a long and tortuous season, appeared to run out of gas late.

An 84-game gauntlet that saw the team sustain knee injuries that ended the season for Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler, and kept Curry out of 27 consecutive games, was finally over.

Golden State gave it a go for three quarters.

Following such an electrifying victory, the Warriors came out understandably flat in the follow-up. The Suns led 33-15 after one quarter, with Golden State committing nine turnovers. Phoenix scored 13 points off those giveaways.

Rather than call it curtains on the season, the Warriors came out a new team in the second quarter. Gary Payton II’s slick passing and calmer play from Brandin Podziemski helped the Warriors score 30 points.

Draymond Green drew the Devin Booker assignment, and the Warriors were more than content to allow Dillon Brooks to isolate and miss tough jump shots over Curry. The Suns were 8 of 26 from behind the arc, helping Golden State’s cause.

The Warriors trailed just 50-45 at halftime, still within striking distance despite the horrid start. But that extra push, the shot or two they needed to go in, never materialized in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors finished their season 37-45, while the Suns will advance to the first round series against top-seeded Oklahoma City.