Warriors starting – Kristaps Porzingis is active and starting for Golden State in its play-in matchup against Phoenix, with Curry, Podziemski, Gui Santos and Draymond Green. The matchup hinges on whether the Warriors can slow the Suns’ top perimeter scorers while recreating their
Warriors fans will get a familiar look on the floor for the play-in—only with the added certainty that Kristaps Porzingis is active and ready.
The Warriors announce their starting five for Friday’s matchup against the Suns: Stephen Curry. Brandin Podziemski. Gui Santos. Draymond Green. and Porzingis.. Earlier in the day. Porzingis had been listed as questionable. which created enough doubt to make every lineup decision feel heavier.. That uncertainty is now cleared. and Golden State leans into the same starting group it used in its 126-121 play-in win over the Clippers on Wednesday.
Porzingis’ presence changes the feel of the opening minutes.. He brings size and rim protection options that the Warriors can’t replicate with smaller lineups. even if the bigger story becomes how well that size can translate to stopping Phoenix’s most dangerous perimeter threats.. The Warriors are starting with Draymond and Santos at forward/wing spots that can rotate. and that could matter against a Suns team built to attack space.
On the other side, the Suns will start Jalen Green, Devin Booker, Jordan Goodwin, Dillon Brooks, and Oso Ighodaro.. That lineup has its own logic: it mixes elite shot-making with wings who can create pressure on the ball and punish teams that don’t close quickly enough.. Phoenix also enters with a clear adjustment up front—Mark Williams is ruled out. and Ighodaro makes his 25th start of the year. stepping into the center role.
Porzingis starts, but the real test is perimeter defense
The Warriors can enjoy a size advantage with this group. yet the matchup problem may sit farther out than it first appears.. Jalen Green. Booker. and Brooks are all capable of going on scoring runs if Golden State’s perimeter defense allows clean looks or late contesting.. The issue isn’t simply whether the Warriors can stop one player—it’s whether they can stop a wave.
Golden State’s defensive approach will likely be tested by the way Phoenix can stack scoring options.. If the Suns get one star moving without the ball. another shooter doesn’t need to touch the ball to become a threat.. Booker is the obvious magnet. and the Warriors’ decisions in response—who gets assigned. how quickly rotations arrive. and whether help defense arrives on time—could determine whether this game stays competitive or turns into a long stretch of tough shot-making.
A matchup note to watch: the Warriors may use Draymond Green’s defensive instincts to slow Dillon Brooks if Phoenix leans into that wing’s ability to score in a rhythm.. Still, the Warriors’ overall starting defense may not have the specific on-ball disruption that can immediately bother Booker early.. If Booker gets into his timing. Golden State will need to do it the hard way—containment. repeated contests. and defensive communication that doesn’t break down after the first made basket.
Can the Warriors repeat their Clippers offensive flow?
Offense can rescue a defense that isn’t perfect.. Against the Clippers in their most recent play-in, the Warriors looked far more connected than the turnover total might suggest.. Golden State committed 20 turnovers. but it still shot 57% overall and hit 46% from three by finding a flow that let multiple players contribute.
That matters because Phoenix can punish mistakes faster than many teams.. If the Warriors revert to sloppy possessions. the Suns can turn turnovers into quick scoring sequences and force Golden State into deeper recovery runs.. The good news for Golden State is that their last offensive performance didn’t rely on one outcome—it spread across several players.
Stephen Curry led with 35 points. but the supporting cast delivered meaningful lift: Porzingis scored 20. Santos added 20. Podziemski contributed 17. and Al Horford chipped in 14.. Draymond Green also played a key role in making the offense feel organized. posting nine assists and keeping turnovers under control in the key ways that can derail a rhythm.
Add the implication: if the Warriors can turn their Clippers-style rhythm into a cleaner version—less chaos. fewer forced passes. and more consistent shooting—then they can put Phoenix in a position where it has to chase them on every possession.. That’s the kind of pressure that can make even elite scorers work for looks instead of cruising into their spots.
The human side of a play-in: one lineup decision, two worlds
Play-in games often compress an entire season’s worth of uncertainty into a few hours.. For Porzingis. the “questionable” label and then the active start is more than a roster update—it’s a confidence signal to a team that needs its core pieces to arrive mentally ready.. For the rest of Golden State. the lineup continuity from the Clippers game is also a stabilizer: players can focus on execution rather than reacting to a reshaped rotation.
For Phoenix, the absence of Mark Williams forces a real-time recalibration in frontcourt minutes.. Ighodaro stepping in means the Suns will ask him to do the heavy lifting that Williams might have handled—setting positioning. absorbing physical play. and keeping the middle of the floor from becoming a free zone.
In the end, the Warriors’ starting lineup is both their advantage and their responsibility.. Size may help. but the scoreboard will still reflect whether the perimeter coverage holds up against three scorers who can change the pace with one or two possessions.. Golden State’s path to controlling this play-in may come down to matching Phoenix’s intensity on the outside while recreating the offensive flow that made the Clippers win possible—even if the final numbers look cleaner than last time.
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