The Golden State Warriors overwhelmed the Phoenix Suns 133-95 on Tuesday night, handing Phoenix its worst loss of the season and tightening the Western Conference playoff race.
Stephen Curry scored 25 points in under 26 minutes, while Brandin Podziemski chipped in 22 as Golden State improved to 47-32.
The Warriors are now part of a four-way tie for the fourth through seventh seeds with Denver, Memphis, and the Clippers, all of whom hold identical records.
Golden State jumped out to a 10-8 lead early in the first quarter on a Moses Moody three-pointer and never trailed again.
By halftime, the visitors led 69-43 behind 19 first-half points from Curry and 17 from Podziemski.
The Warriors pushed the lead to as many as 41 in the second half as Phoenix continued to struggle on both ends of the floor.
The Suns, who have now dropped seven straight games, fell to 35-44 and are on the verge of postseason elimination.
Devin Booker finished with 21 points, but the rest of Phoenix’s starters combined for just 27 on 12-of-33 shooting.
Phoenix needs to win its final three games and hope the Mavericks lose out to have any shot at the Western Conference play-in.
Golden State shot 48.4% from the field and made 15 three-pointers on 37.5% accuracy, while holding the Suns to just 39.8% overall and 27.9% from deep.
The Warriors dominated the rebounding battle 57-41 and turned the ball over only 15 times while collecting 14 steals.
Eleven different players scored for Golden State, including Trayce Jackson-Davis with 13 points and Pat Spencer with 10 in garbage time.
Podziemski continued his efficient rookie campaign by shooting 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-6 from long range, adding five rebounds and three assists.
Curry went 9-for-17 overall and added six assists, nine boards, and a +31 plus-minus rating before exiting early in the third quarter.
Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler each played under 21 minutes and combined for 15 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
The Warriors have won 7 of their last 10 and are entering a favorable stretch with upcoming games against San Antonio and Portland.
Phoenix, on the other hand, looked disengaged for long stretches and trailed by double digits for the final 38 minutes of the game.
Grayson Allen scored 12 off the bench for Phoenix, but Bradley Beal struggled again, managing just seven points on 3-of-8 shooting.
The Suns were without Kevin Durant, who sat out due to injury, while Nick Richards and Ryan Dunn were the only starters to reach double digits besides Booker.
Golden State improved to 24-15 on the road and has the chance to climb out of the play-in with two more wins and some help from other results.
The Warriors’ season finale against the Clippers could be decisive in determining which team avoids the single-elimination format.
Golden State’s bench outscored Phoenix’s reserves 78-43, including double-digit contributions from Jonathan Kuminga, Spencer, Jackson-Davis, and Kevin Knox II.
The Warriors also tallied 31 assists on 45 made field goals, continuing their recent trend of ball movement and high-efficiency offense.
