Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks doesn’t need much to get himself hated by his opponents. Against the Golden State Warriors tonight, it didn’t take long to get himself going, and even with Warriors star Stephen Curry sidelined, he found a way to make the night personal. However, Curry found an unlikely savior: Warriors reserve Gui Santos.

“Man, you know, he likes to talk s—,” Santos told the NBCS Bay Area broadcast. “He likes to do all that, but I like to play on the court. I like that. I like the physicality and all that, so I’m not going to lie. It felt good.”

The 23-year-old didn’t hold back, making it clear how he felt about Brooks’ approach, especially after the veteran directed his energy towards Curry.

Earlier, during the second quarter, Brooks had drilled a tough shot, knocking over Santos with a shove without drawing an offensive foul call. After Brooks hit a turnaround jumper, he looked over at the injured Curry on the sideline, and taunted him with a move seemingly asking the guard to get on the floor.

It was subtle enough to avoid escalation, but quickly communicated everything needed, drawing a knowing smile from Curry as the bench saw everything that transpired. The message was clear.

Santos responded the way he indicated: on the court. Santos was the primary matchup on Brooks tonight, holding him to inefficient shooting splits while also managing to hold off the forward from scoring multiple times in the final minute, including wringing the ball away from the Suns off a miss to ice the game in the final seconds.

For the Warriors, that exchange carried beyond the box score,  and Santos’ words showed how Curry’s absence seemed to make the Warriors just play harder.

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Warriors Rally Late as Gui Santos and Pat Spencer Deliver When It Matters Most

The Golden State Warriors looked finished early in the fourth. The Suns opened the final frame on an 8-0 run to stretch the lead to 90-76, appearing to have full control as Stephen Curry watching from the sideline for the second straight game. However, the Warriors didn’t fold. Instead, the ragtag group of role players chipped away every possessions, leaning on energy, ball movement, and unlikely offensive sources.

The main source was Pat Spencer, who made his fifth start of the season. Spencer caught fire from deep, dropping six three-pointers for a career-high 20 points. Five came in the first half, setting the tone for a Warriors team that took just 21 inside-the-arc shots tonight. His shooting kept the Warriors afloat early, long enough for a comeback to materialize.

When the moment finally arrived, Gui Santos delivered the dagger. After De’Anthony Melton tied the game with a layup with under a minute left, Santos sprinted across the floor on a Suns miss to finish a breakaway bucket with 28 seconds remaining to put the Dubs up for good. After forcing Brooks into a miss on the next possession, the Warriors unleashed a play looking straight out of a movie get Melton a game-icing layup to win the game.