A Chronicle of the Suns vs. Warriors Hoops Rivalry

When Do the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns Play Next?

Golden State Warriors tickets and Phoenix Suns tickets can be found on their respective team pages, along with schedule information.

Are the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns Rivals?

Yes, the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns are rivals within the Western Conference of the NBA. Both the Suns and the Warriors play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play one another four times in the regular season under the current NBA scheduling rules. The two teams have also squared off three times in the playoffs, adding fuel to the fire.

Who Are the Golden State Warriors’ Biggest Rivals?

Historically, the Warriors have had an intense rivalry with the Sacramento Kings. However, their rivalry with the Suns has more recently burned hottest. Additionally, Golden State have rivalries with the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Who Are the Phoenix Suns’ Biggest Rivals?

The Phoenix Suns have several rivals, many of which reside in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. These teams include the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers, the LA Clippers and the Sacramento Kings. The Suns also have rivalries with the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks that originate from intense playoff matchups in the early 2000s.

Game Results Between the Warriors & Suns

Entering the 2023 campaign, the Warriors and Suns have played a total of 274 times, with Phoenix holding a 147–112 edge. Additionally, Phoenix has an 11–4 edge in playoff matchups, including a 3–0 series record. However, from 2014–2019, Golden State tallied 18 consecutive wins against Phoenix, the fifth longest winning streak against one team in NBA history.

Golden State Warriors vs. Phoenix Suns History

The history of Phoenix and Golden State has blossomed in recent seasons due to the competitive nature of both teams in pursuit of an NBA Championship (or in Golden State’s case, another NBA title). This series was largely dominated by the Suns throughout the last three decades, with Phoenix ripping off win streaks of nine in a row from 1989–1991, six in a row from 1992–1994, 14 out of 15 in a row from 1996–2000.

However, Golden State turned the tide on their franchise narrative and this rivalry in 2015. On the building blocks to their first NBA Championship led by Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, Golden State beat Phoenix 106–87 in the Oracle Center on January 31, 2015.

What seemed like an innocuous game was actually the start of the longest win streak in this series rivalry. From then through 2019, Golden State would go on to win five straight Western Conference titles, four NBA Finals and 18 straight games against the Suns.

During this time, a once-proud and competitive franchise in the Phoenix Suns—previously led by Hall of Famers like Steve Nash, Charles Barkley and Grant Hill—had slid into anonymity. Under scandal and tumult from previous owner Robert Sarver, Phoenix averaged fewer than 22 wins a season from 2015–2019, translating to a .265 winning percentage.

Since 2019, Phoenix has undergone a transformation. With commendable roster construction and renewed leadership, the Suns began to right the ship behind the play of Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton and Cam Johnson. In 2021, the Suns acquired future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul and made it all the way to the NBA Finals before falling to the Milwaukee Bucks. In an attempt to get over the top, Phoenix waived Chris Paul to make room for perennial MVP candidate Kevin Durant. Paul now plays for the Golden State Warriors.

Entering the 2023 season, the two teams are thought to be the class of the Western Conference, and games from the last few seasons reflect that narrative. While Phoenix won three out of four games in the 2022–2023 season, the head-to-head since the Suns broke that win streak is 8–6 in favor of Phoenix.

Where Do the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors Play?

Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix has been the home of the Suns since 1992. The stadium used to go by names such as America West Arena, US Airways Center and Talking Stick Resort Arena, but Footprint purchased the naming rights in 2022. The stadium also goes by the nickname The Purple Palace and has a capacity of 17,071 for Suns’ games that can be expanded to 17,716 for arena concerts.

The Golden State Warriors have called the recently-opened Chase Center their home since 2019. Situated on the bay coast in downtown San Francisco, Chase Center replaced Oracle Center in Oakland. Due to the Warriors recent success, tickets to Golden State games in Chase Center are one of the most in-demand tickets in the NBA. The stadium seats 18,064 and often offers a fan experience for playoff games on the property for fans not attending the game.

Learn more about Chase Center here.