A season filled with injuries limited Jalen Green’s role with the Phoenix Suns, but he made a major impact when it mattered most, erupting for 36 points and hitting eight threes in a play-in win over the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
After being restricted to just 32 appearances in the regular season, largely due to a lingering hamstring issue from training camp, the performance served as a strong response after a difficult year physically.
“Getting injured in the first place, coming back,” he recalled. “Getting injured again, coming back. I think it happened like three or four times. It was hard.”
There was also added meaning in defeating Golden State, the same team that knocked out his Houston squad in seven games during his first playoff run a year ago.
Still, Green valued a moment after the game with Stephen Curry, who has played a key role in shaping his growth, as shared by Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“He was just telling me to handle business in OKC,” Green said. “Coming from Steph, it means a lot to chop it up with him and just hear from him at the end of the day, just because I was maybe 16 years old when he was having me come out to Oakland just to work out with him.
“So he’s kind of been somewhat of a mentor. I was able to get his number and reach out throughout these years. So he’s been kind of something like a mentor. And playing against him is always great. He’s one of the greatest shooters – greatest players of all time.”
Suns Notes: Green, Booker, Williams, Allen, Fleming, Brooks https://t.co/nU98DdF3DT pic.twitter.com/iBWO1RYZyW
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) April 19, 2026
