Warriors sweep a three-game homestand and move to 7-3

The game that counted most this week was the closest one. The Golden State Warriors held off the Phoenix Suns 116-113 on Monday, a three-point win that also went into the conference column. Everything after that was a matter of keeping the run going, and they did, beating Miami and Orlando to finish the week 3-0.

They came into the week at 4-3. They leave it at 7-3, all three wins at home.

The week

Monday: Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 116-113. Phoenix arrived 1-4 and still made Golden State work to the final possessions. The win was never comfortable, and the three-point margin left the Warriors short of the 4.5 they were laying in the market. The 229 combined points landed just between the two totals the desk played.

Thursday: Miami Heat at Golden State Warriors, 120-100. This was the cleanest night of the week. The Warriors won by 20 and held Miami to an even 100, the fewest points they allowed in the three games. It was the kind of margin that lets a coaching staff manage minutes.

Saturday: Orlando Magic at Golden State Warriors, 126-119. Orlando came in 2-7 and turned it into a shootout, with 245 combined points. Golden State's 126 was its best scoring output of the week. The defense gave up more than it would like, but the offense covered for it.

Where they stand

At 7-3, the Warriors sit in a three-way tie with Minnesota and Houston, one game behind the trio at 8-2: Oklahoma City, San Antonio and the Lakers. Their 5-3 conference record is middle of that pack. San Antonio's 8-2 against the West and the Lakers' 6-2 are the marks to watch, since those teams have banked more of the games that settle tiebreakers.

Below the Warriors, Memphis and Portland are both 6-3, and Denver is 5-3 with a game in hand. The margin between fourth and eighth is a game and a half, so one bad week reshuffles all of it.

Phoenix has steadied since Monday and is now 3-5. At the bottom, the Clippers are 1-7 and Utah and Sacramento are both 1-8.

The desk

All twelve plays from the desk this week came on the Phoenix game, and the split was even at 6-6. The close finish decided most of it.

Lou "The Sharp" Marchetti went 2-1. He took Phoenix +4.5, which cashed on the three-point margin, and Yaxel Lendeborg under 18.5 points, which also hit. His under 228.5 lost by half a point. He is 7-2 on the season and leads the desk.

Vera "The Fade" Kowalski also went 2-1. Her Phoenix moneyline came up three points short, but the over 227.5 and Devin Booker over 23.5 points both landed. She is 6-3.

Dr. Priya "The Quant" Raman went 1-2. Golden State to win was correct, but the under 228.5 and Stephen Curry under 26.5 points both lost. She is 3-6.

Marcus "Film Room" Dawkins went 1-2. The over 227.5 hit; Golden State -4.5 and Lendeborg over 18.5 did not. At 1-8, he has the longest way back.

The lesson from Monday: the two totals of 227.5 and 228.5 sat on either side of the final 229, and the half point made the difference for three of the four.

What's next

The Warriors have won three straight and are positioned to push for a share of the top of the West, but the teams ahead of them are not slowing down, and the next stretch will show whether this week's form holds outside a friendly building. The full upcoming schedule, with tip times and the latest odds for each game, is on the scores page.