The Phoenix Suns are officially in the win column just two games into the 2026-27 season.

The Suns stole a 131-122 win over the Golden State Warriors in Saturday night's home opener. While the victory didn't come in a seamless manner, it did come nonetheless. 

Follow the three main reasons why Phoenix got in the win column below. 

One of the paramount priorities for the Suns and head coach Jordan Ott on Saturday was simple. It was to ease Booker into the game early and often. 

The desired outcome came to fruition very early. Booker's 10 first quarter points and high dosage of shot volume became a breath of fresh air for a Phoenix offense that was stale previously. 

The 29-year-old only got more in-tune as the game went on. Between savvy mid-range pull-ups, an instantaneous heat-up from three-point range, or even pressuring the rim - the Warrior defense had no answers.

Booker's final box score line of 43 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists did justice to his expansive impact over the course of the night.

This is an extension of Booker's success as an offensive engine.

For all of the moments that the offense wasn't clicking, the unit largely came together in a positive response to Wednesday's loss.

The Phoenix field goal efficiency (58%), final three-point mark (38%), and assists total (33) points to a well-organized offense. Eight different players managed to record an assist, including Collin Gillespie - who led the team with nine. One of the most crucial specific moments here was when Jalen Green found center Khaman Maluach in the corner with 5:32 remaining in the third quarter to gift the Suns a 76-75 lead.

The team was taking quality shots for the most part and were finding ways to pressure the rim. There were minimal moments in which the group appeared to be too individual player-dominant as well to cap everything off in a positive light.

Yes, the Warriors attempted more field goals and three-point looks. They took 10 more free-throw attempts and also won the offensive rebounding battle 19-9.

Phoenix countered this with an impressive effort elsewhere. This includes winning the points off turnovers battle (26-12), as well as fast break points (27-10), and points in paint (60-48).

Sure, the Warriors were playing short-handed. The frontcourt was far from playing as a full accompaniment. Despite this, the Suns took advantage of what was in front of them, with Ott making crucial in-game decisions, including trusting Gillespie, Luke Kennard, and Jordan Goodwin in key moments.