Game 81: Warriors 116 - Suns 122
April 16th 2008 06:22 pm
Taken by Barry Gossage (NBAE/Getty Images)
The Phoenix Suns officially eliminated the Golden State Warriors from playoff contention with a 122-116 win. But like many of the Warriors’ previous games, there was still a lot of drama to be had.
Baron Davis shot a horrid 2 for 13 early on and was subsequently benched by Coach Don Nelson for the rest of the game in what amounts to one of the most important games for the team in the 2007-2008 season.
The Warriors got down big, at one point trailing by as much as 17 points. With a lineup of Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson and spare parts, the Warriors erased the 17 point deficit and built a 11 point lead. Jackson was especially hot in the third quarter hitting a number of long-distance threes, willing the team to take action.
Unfortunately, when the 4th quarter rolled around, the players involved in the comeback were on tired legs. Davis, having sat out for two quarters so far, was not brought in to steady the course and perhaps help win the game. In a questionable call, Nellie stuck with the players he had on the floor and the game was lost.
Stephen Jackson’s Line:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
| 23 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| FG | FG% | 3PT | 3PT% | FT | FT% |
| 9-18 | .500 | 4-9 | .444 | 1-2 | .500 |