Jalen Green’s 36 points helped lift the Phoenix Suns into the playoffs with a 111-96 play-in win over the visiting Golden State Warriors on Friday.
The Suns earned the Western Conference’s eighth postseason seed. They will visit the defending champion and top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday to open a first-round series.
Phoenix scored 30 points off the Warriors’ 21 turnovers.
After Phoenix let a late lead slip away against the Portland Trail Blazers in the play-in opener, the Suns held on this time.
There was some late drama, though.
With the outcome already decided, Golden State’s Draymond Green fouled out with just more than a minute remaining. Warriors coach Steve Kerr shared a moment with Draymond Green and Stephen Curry, embracing both. The three were part of four NBA championship runs.
However, as action resumed, Draymond Green and the Suns’ Devin Booker began a heated discussion that carried on for several moments before the whistle blew and both players were issued a technical foul. Green was ejected.
Phoenix jumped out to a big lead with a 13-0 run after the Warriors scored the game’s first two points, then closed the quarter with eight consecutive points to lead 33-15.
Golden State’s 15 first-quarter points were their fewest in a quarter since scoring 14 in the fourth quarter on March 7 against the Thunder.
The Suns, who shot 52.4 percent in the first quarter, struggled in the second quarter as the Warriors roared back.
Phoenix was just 5 of 20 from the field in the second, and Golden State pulled within two on Curry’s free throws with 19.6 seconds remaining in the half.
As time ran down, Jalen Green elevated for a 3-pointer from the wing and drained it for the Suns’ first field goal in more than five minutes to give Phoenix a 50-45 lead at the break.
Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski scored 10 of his team-high 23 points in the second. He also led the Warriors with 10 rebounds.
The Suns used an 11-1 run – featuring two 3-pointers from Jalen Green – to regain control in the third quarter.
Booker finished with 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Phoenix’s Jordan Goodwin added 19 points, nine rebounds and six steals.
Curry recorded 17 points in the loss but was just 4 of 16 from the floor and 3 of 10 from 3-point range.
Magic extend Hornets’ playoff drought, face Pistons next
Paolo Banchero scored 25 points to lead five players in double figures for the host Orlando Magic, who advanced to the Eastern Conference playoffs by routing the Charlotte Hornets 121-90 in the earlier play-in game on Friday.
The Magic, who finished eighth during the regular season, earned the eighth seed and will face the top-seeded Pistons in a best-of-seven first-round series beginning Sunday night in Detroit.
This is the third straight trip to the playoffs for the Magic – the longest streak for the franchise since a team-record six straight appearances from 2007-12.
LaMelo Ball scored 23 points for the Hornets, who finished ninth in the East. Charlotte earned a dramatic 127-126 overtime win over the Miami Heat in the first play-in game on Tuesday but missed the postseason for the 10th straight season – the NBA’s longest active drought.
Franz Wagner had 18 points while Wendell Carter Jr. finished with 16 for the Magic, who also received 13 from Desmond Bane and 12 from Jalen Suggs. Orlando shot 50 percent (42 of 84) from the field and 29.6 percent (8-for-27) from 3-point range.
“When you play with a sense of desperation and urgency, when you know you’re either going home or you’re extending your season, that’s what it looks like,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said.
Miles Bridges scored 15 points, Brandon Miller had 14 and Kon Knueppel added 11 in Charlotte’s most lopsided loss of the season. The visitors shot just 33.7 percent (28 of 83) from the field and 26.7 percent (12 of 45) from beyond the arc.
Miller’s 3-pointer gave the Hornets their only lead at 5-4 with 9:58 left in the first quarter. The Magic scored the next 10 points, after which Bridges and Miller combined for five consecutive points.
The Magic responded by taking control with a 13-0 run as Carter and Banchero combined for 11 points to take a 27-10 lead. Goga Bitadze’s layup gave Orlando its first 20-point lead at 36-16 with 54 seconds left.
The Magic led by as many as 35 in the second before entering the half with a 68-37 advantage. Orlando led 102-71 at the end of the third and by as many as 33 in the fourth.
“I hope that this fuels us this offseason, because we did a tonne of really good things and gave ourselves an opportunity – you’re one step away from being in the playoffs, so I don’t want to discredit that,” Hornets head coach Charles Lee said. “But this has got to, like, hurt a little bit.”
DW Deutsch 
ESPN 
