Warriors win fifth straight as Devin Booker fades again in the clutch

The Golden State Warriors won their fifth straight game Monday night at Chase Center, 116-113 over the Phoenix Suns. In Phoenix, the result is being read as another late-game failure by Devin Booker. The Suns led 106-104 with under five minutes left when Booker checked back in. He scored once more, and then the Warriors closed the game.

SB Nation laid out the sequence in a column by John Voita. Booker's nine-foot jumper was his only basket in clutch time. With Phoenix down 109-108, he missed an open 12-footer and then turned the ball over on the next trip. After Jalen Green also gave the ball away, Booker was called for an offensive foul. It was his sixth, and he fouled out. In 3.8 clutch minutes he went 1-of-2 with two turnovers and finished minus-7.

Voita argues the problem goes back to February. Over his first 10 seasons, Booker was a minus-2 across 316 clutch situations, shooting 40 percent with a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio. Last season started well. Through his first 19 games, Phoenix went 11-8 in close finishes and Booker was plus-27 on 51.2 percent shooting. After he came back from an ankle injury on Feb. 7, those numbers fell apart. From Feb. 1 on, he ranked last in plus-minus among players with at least 20 clutch shot attempts. Voita says Booker's game has "become predictable" late, with too many drives into crowded lanes.

For Golden State, the result also matters on its own terms. The Warriors lost 131-122 in Phoenix during the season's first week, and Monday's win evens the two-game season series. Golden State got the stops it needed after trailing late. The Warriors defended Booker's attacks without fouling and turned his mistakes into the final margin. They have now won close games and lopsided ones during the streak.

What it means for Thursday

The Warriors are 5-3, and it has been a sharp turnaround. They started 0-3: a 127-105 loss to the Lakers, a 111-108 home loss to Memphis and the defeat in Phoenix. They have won every game since. Two of the wins came on the road, 134-114 at Denver and 119-114 at Minnesota. Three came at home: 112-95 over the Lakers, 124-112 over the Clippers and Monday's 116-113 decision. In that stretch they reversed the opening-night loss to the Lakers and split with Phoenix.

The Miami Heat come to San Francisco on Thursday, Nov. 5, on NBA TV. A win would give Golden State six straight and a third consecutive home win. Two of the last five wins came by five points or fewer, the 119-114 game in Minnesota and Monday's three-point finish. A team that started 0-3 has now won close games as well as one-sided ones.

Monday's story in Phoenix was about a star who couldn't finish a game. In San Francisco, it was another night when the Warriors handled the final minutes better than their opponent.