The Phoenix Suns are heading back to the NBA playoffs, and they have Jalen Green to thank for it. In front of a raucous sellout crowd of 17,071 at Mortgage Matchup Center on Friday night, April 17, 2026, Green erupted for 36 points, matching his career-high with eight made three-pointers, and powered the Suns to a 111-96 victory over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Play-In Tournament finale.
It was a performance Suns fans won’t soon forget. Green, who had missed all four regular-season meetings with the Warriors due to injury, made his presence felt early and often. He shot a blistering 14-of-20 from the field, including 8-of-14 from beyond the arc, and added six rebounds and four assists. His hot hand was the difference, as Phoenix built a commanding lead in the first quarter and never truly looked back.
“All hands on deck. We’ve been figuring it out on the fly all season long. Got to do it again tonight,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said before the game, referencing the team’s injury woes and the need to play bigger wings. “We’re small in general. When we go smaller, we just have to play our bigger wings and find a way to protect the paint and these guys, they shoot as many 3s as anyone else in the league. Got to do our best to take that way and offensively, continue to play faster than even what we have recently.”
Ott’s adjustments paid off. The Suns started Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Jordan Goodwin, Dillon Brooks, and Oso Ighodaro in place of the injured Mark Williams (left foot soreness). Grayson Allen, recovering from a left hamstring strain, was available but did not take the floor.
The Suns wasted no time setting the tone. After forcing four early turnovers, Phoenix jumped out to a 13-2 lead and closed the first quarter up 33-15. All five starters got on the board, with Brooks scoring eight points and picking up two fouls. The Warriors, meanwhile, looked out of sorts—shooting just 30% from the field and 1-of-9 from three-point range in the opening period. Stephen Curry, usually the engine of the Golden State offense, managed only two shots and two points in the first quarter.
Golden State, however, showed signs of life in the second. They outscored the Suns 30-17 in the quarter, committing just three turnovers that led to four Phoenix points. The Warriors trimmed what had been an 18-point deficit down to just two before Green’s late three-pointer over Al Horford gave Phoenix a 50-45 halftime advantage. It was a reminder that the Warriors, who had staged a dramatic comeback against the Clippers just two nights earlier, weren’t going to go quietly.
Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Curry finished with 17 points on a tough 4-of-16 shooting night. Phoenix’s defense was relentless, hounding Curry all game and limiting his clean looks. “The 38-year-old Curry couldn’t get many clean looks and finished with 17 points on 4-of-16 shooting,” reported the Associated Press. The Suns also racked up 14 steals as a team, with Jordan Goodwin accounting for six of them.
Goodwin’s impact went beyond the defensive end. He chipped in 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, grabbed nine boards, and hit four three-pointers. Devin Booker, who added 20 points and six assists, was a steady force throughout—though his night ended early after a heated exchange with Draymond Green. Both players were assessed two technical fouls late in the fourth quarter and were ejected after repeated jawing.
“We’ve got to get into the open court, use our speed and skill since we won’t have as much size,” Ott had said, and the Suns did just that. They scored 22 points off 15 Golden State turnovers and kept the pace up, especially during key stretches in the third quarter. Phoenix built a 69-53 lead with 5:12 left in the third after a fast-break layup by Royce O’Neale, and by the start of the fourth, the Suns were ahead 78-69, with Green already tallying 27 points and seven triples.
But if anyone thought the Warriors would fade away, they were mistaken. Golden State cut the margin to 85-78 early in the fourth after a Curry three-pointer, sparking memories of their recent comeback magic. Yet the Suns quickly responded with a seven-point burst, dousing any hopes of another Warriors rally.
Kristaps Porzingis, who was questionable with right ankle soreness after an injury against the Clippers, suited up but played only 15 minutes, finishing with 11 points. The Warriors’ supporting cast struggled to keep up, with Gui Santos and Draymond Green combining for just 14 points. Phoenix, meanwhile, got valuable minutes from Oso Ighodaro (10 points, six rebounds) and Dillon Brooks (13 points, four assists).
This win means the Suns claim the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will now face the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, the No. 1 seed, in a best-of-seven first-round series. Game 1 tips off Sunday, April 19, at 12:30 p.m. MST at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, with national coverage on ABC. Phoenix went 2-3 against the Thunder during the regular season, setting up what should be a fascinating matchup against the league’s top team.
The Suns also avoided a dubious distinction; had they lost, they would have become the first team to drop both play-in tournament games at home since the format was introduced in 2021. Instead, they delivered under pressure, sending the Warriors home and reigniting playoff hopes in the Valley.
For Jalen Green, the victory was especially sweet. This was his first game against Golden State since last year’s playoffs, when the Warriors upset his then-team, the Houston Rockets, in the first round. This time, Green flipped the script, torching Golden State and leading his new squad to the postseason after Phoenix missed out last year.
As the Suns set their sights on Oklahoma City, one thing is clear: with Jalen Green firing on all cylinders and a hungry supporting cast, Phoenix is peaking at just the right time. The playoffs await, and the Suns are back in the hunt.