The news

The Golden State Warriors opened their road matchup against the Phoenix Suns with a starting lineup featuring Brandon Williams, Will Richard, Gui Santos, Yaxel Lendeborg and Graham Ike, per @anthonyVslater. The Phoenix Suns countered at the opening tip with a starting unit of Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges, Khaman Maluach, Devin Booker and Jalen Green, per @NBA. Behind a game-high 43 points from Devin Booker, the Phoenix Suns defeated the shorthanded Golden State Warriors 131-122 to secure their first win of the 2026-27 season, while Golden State fell to 0-3.

Devin Booker shot 17-25 from the field and added 7 rebounds and 7 assists to set a franchise record with 43 points in the Phoenix Suns home opener. Jalen Green also contributed an emphatic baseline slam in the 3Q as the Phoenix Suns built their offensive momentum. For the Golden State Warriors, Graham Ike finished the night with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists in the 131-122 road loss.

During the fourth quarter, Devin Booker connected on a deep pull-up jumper while drawing a foul for an And-1 that pushed his scoring total to 36 points alongside 6 rebounds and 7 assists at that stage of live play. His perimeter shotmaking and playmaking paced the Phoenix Suns offense and created separation as Phoenix held a 114-102 advantage in the fourth quarter. The shorthanded Golden State Warriors rotation trailed down the stretch as Devin Booker controlled the half-court offense and closed out the 131-122 victory.

Prior context

Ahead of the 0-0 tipoff in Phoenix, the Golden State Warriors placed recent offseason additions directly into the starting lineup alongside returning forward Gui Santos. Yaxel Lendeborg, the No. 11 overall pick who signed in July, joined Brandon Williams, who joined the Golden State Warriors roster in August, and Graham Ike, who signed in September, in the opening group alongside Will Richard. Deploying those newcomers from the opening tip tested the roster depth of the Golden State Warriors as the club entered its first back-to-back set of the 2026-27 regular season.

Yaxel Lendeborg entered the matchup in Phoenix after earning an immediate rotation role earlier this month and logging heavy playing time across his first two NBA appearances. The rookie recorded 29 minutes in the season opener and 37 minutes in the second game, totaling 66 minutes for an average of 33.0 minutes per game entering Sunday. The coaching staff projected ahead of Sunday's game in Phoenix that the first-year player is on track to lead the Golden State Warriors in minutes across the 2026-27 campaign.

Alongside his rapid rise on the court, Yaxel Lendeborg also navigated external scrutiny earlier in the week after sparking a dispute over constant complaining to officials during the season opener. Addressing the backlash postgame, the rookie acknowledged that his initial remarks in the press went too far while maintaining that he is not afraid to speak to anyone on the court. Even as his blunt approach invited outside attention across the league, his willingness to challenge established veterans drew support inside the Golden State Warriors locker room early in the 2026-27 regular season.

What it means

For the Golden State Warriors, entrusting Yaxel Lendeborg with a central role and a primary offensive workload underscores how heavily the depleted road rotation already depends on the durability of its newcomers. Starting Brandon Williams, Will Richard, Gui Santos, Yaxel Lendeborg and Graham Ike together functioned as an early test of how the reworked opening group operates on the road amid regular-season availability challenges. Dropping to 0-3 after the 131-122 defeat highlights the difficulty Golden State faced while trying to contain Phoenix's primary scorer in the fourth quarter.

Rotation availability became an additional consideration for the Golden State Warriors after Gui Santos went to the locker room with what the team described as left knee soreness. Gui Santos later had a slight limp, though he said it was just a left knee tweak and nothing serious, adding that any absence would be short if he misses time at all.

For the Phoenix Suns, the 131-122 victory delivered their first win of the 2026-27 season and demonstrated how Devin Booker's high-volume scoring and playmaking anchor the offense in Phoenix. Matching Devin Booker's 43 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists with a starting unit of Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges, Khaman Maluach and Jalen Green allowed Phoenix to create separation in the fourth quarter and win the home opener.

What reporters are saying

Ahead of tipoff, Golden State's decision to open the scheduled game in Phoenix with Brandon Williams, Will Richard, Gui Santos, Yaxel Lendeborg and Graham Ike was reported per @anthonyVslater. Meanwhile, the pregame assessment that Yaxel Lendeborg will probably lead the Golden State Warriors in minutes this season after playing 29 and 37 minutes in his first two NBA appearances was highlighted per @ESPNNBA. Postgame comments from Yaxel Lendeborg addressing the backlash to his earlier remarks and stating that he is not afraid to talk to nobody were also shared per @anthonyVslater.

Live coverage of Jalen Green's emphatic baseline slam in the 3Q and Devin Booker's deep pull-up jumper for an And-1 to reach 36 points in the 4Q was shared per @NBATV. Following the 131-122 final score, Devin Booker's 43 points on 17-25 shooting with 7 rebounds and 7 assists to lead the Phoenix Suns to their first win of the season and drop the Golden State Warriors to 0-3 was detailed per @BleacherReport and per @NBA. The franchise-record 43 points by Devin Booker in the Phoenix Suns home opener was further noted per @YahooSports and per @Suns. Postgame updates on Gui Santos calling his injury a left knee tweak that was nothing serious and would mean only a short absence, if he misses time at all, were reported per @anthonyVslater.

What to watch next

The Golden State Warriors will issue their next injury update to clarify whether Gui Santos misses a game following the left knee soreness and slight limp he experienced in Phoenix. Observers will monitor Golden State's rotation availability heading into its next regular-season matchup as the team navigates early availability challenges at 0-3. How the coaching staff continues to deploy Yaxel Lendeborg, Graham Ike, Brandon Williams and Will Richard in extended court time will remain a key focus as the 2026-27 regular season continues.

Companion to our earlier report: Warriors start Ike, Santos, Lendeborg, Williams and Richard at Suns.