Golden State Warriors vs. Phoenix Suns Pick & Prediction APRIL 8th 2025

Preview and Prediction

Eager to maintain their position in the crowded Western Conference standings, the Golden State Warriors will hit the road to take on the struggling Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

With a record of 46-32, Golden State is currently tied with the Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Memphis Grizzlies for the fifth spot in the standings. They are also just half a game behind the fourth-ranked Denver Nuggets and two games behind the third-ranked Los Angeles Lakers.

Despite a five-game winning streak that boosted their chances of avoiding the play-in tournament, the Warriors suffered a 106-96 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

In a rare off night for Stephen Curry, the star player only managed to score three points and shot 1-for-8 from the 3-point line in 33 minutes.

"This is just part of the NBA season. You play 82 games and there will be nights where things don't go your way," said Golden State coach Steve Kerr about Curry's performance. "Steph didn't have it tonight. (Houston) did a great job defensively. We'll take Monday off and prepare for Phoenix."

Kerr is well aware that his team's playoff fate is in their own hands with four games left in the regular season. After facing Phoenix, the Warriors will play against the San Antonio Spurs, visit the Portland Trail Blazers, and then take on the Clippers at home.

"I keep an eye on all the scores and the schedule for the next few days," Kerr said. "The only thing I know for sure is that if we win our last four games, we won't have to play in the play-in tournament. We might get some help from other teams, but we can't focus on that. We just have to focus on the next game."

Despite Curry's underwhelming performance, the 37-year-old is still leading the Warriors with an average of 24.4 points per game. He is followed by Jimmy Butler, who has been averaging 17.1 points since joining the team, and Jonathan Kuminga with 15.6 points per game.

Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns (35-43) are quickly losing their grip on a playoff spot as they are currently on a six-game losing streak and sit 2 1/2 games behind the Dallas Mavericks for the final play-in spot.

After losing their top scorer Kevin Durant (26.6 ppg) to a left ankle sprain on March 30, the Suns suffered three consecutive losses on their recent road trip, including a 112-98 defeat against the New York Knicks on Sunday. Devin Booker, who has been carrying the team in Durant's absence, scored 40 points in the game and averaged 38.7 points on the trip.

"No matter what the situation is, whether we make it to the playoffs or not, we will give it our all and do our best," Booker said.

With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, coach Mike Budenholzer's main focus is getting the team back on track for Tuesday's game.

"We only have four games left, so our main focus is on Golden State and getting a win," Budenholzer said. "We need to win some games in these final stretch and see what happens with the other teams. That's all we can do."

Durant will continue to sit out for the game against his former team.

PREDICTION

Golden State Warriors

119

109

Phoenix Suns

Golden State Warriors vs. Phoenix Suns Recap APR 8TH 2025