NBA PLAYOFFS : Warriors Bounce Back to Defeat Suns, 127-122

As if out of nowhere, a game appeared, bringing with it a different look to an entire series.

The Golden State Warriors, blown out of Veterans Memorial Coliseum three days earlier, evened the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series with a 127-122 victory in Game 2 Tuesday night before a crowd of 14,471.

“It was a big psychological boost,” said Golden State’s Terry Teagle, who scored 29 points off the bench to complement the game-high 37 by Chris Mullin and 25 by Mitch Richmond. “We needed this game. Our backs were up against the wall, and whenever our backs have been against the wall this year, we’ve been able to fight back.”

Golden State, which had lost its last three meetings to Phoenix by 27, 30 and 18 points, quickly broke through any cloud that may have lingered from Saturday’s 130-103 loss. The Warriors led by a point at halftime and never trailed by more than four.

The fourth quarter was the game in microcosm. The Warriors didn’t take their final lead until Winston Garland’s jumper in the lane made it 121-120 with 2:52 remaining. The Suns pulled within a point, 123-122, with 21 seconds left, but couldn’t force at least an overtime.

“What we said in the locker room was private,” Warrior Coach Don Nelson said. “But I would like to say that no one on this team had given up. They were never down, and I don’t believe they will ever get down. I don’t believe it will happen.

“I said coming in that we would have to be exceptional to win. Tonight, we were exceptional. . . . I don’t know if we can play much better than we did.”

To be sure, the Suns can’t shoot free throws better than they did in losing: A National Basketball Assn. playoff record 28 for 28. Golden State made 25 of 28, two of the misses by Mullin, the fifth best in the league during the regular season, and the other by Manute Bol.

Despite contentions that the Warriors should look at Phoenix’s 27-point victory in Game 1 as nothing more than a loss, no matter what the margin, the blowout had to be a rude awakening for the Warriors. A few days earlier, they were riding the crest of the first-round sweep over the Utah Jazz, and all of sudden, they were reduced to scrambling for answers.

Nelson opened with the same lineup--6-foot-7 Rod Higgins, 6-7 Mullin and 6-8 Larry Smith on the front line and 6-2 Garland and 6-5 Richmond at guard--but got much better results. To be precise, he got a 65-64 lead at halftime.

“I felt I would go with what had been the best thing for us,” Nelson said. “I didn’t succumb to the pressure to be some sort of genius, which I’m not.”

Said Phoenix Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons: “I never questioned for a minute that Nellie wouldn’t go the same way.”

The Suns made only four field goals in the final six minutes of the second quarter, including a three-point shot by Eddie Johnson, and in one stretch went scoreless for 2:05. During another critical run, they were outscored, 11-4, with Mullin getting six of the Warrior points.

Mullin, who was limited to 18 points in Game 1 but still began play Tuesday averaging 29 per outing in the playoffs, had 23 by the intermission. He sank 10 of the first 17 attempts, and Teagle came off the bench to go eight of 11 for 17 points in the first half for the Warriors, who shot 59.1% from the field in the first two quarters.

Eddie Johnson, named the league’s best sixth man Monday, had 19 points by the intermission, en route to 35.

Notes

Phoenix players, while cautious not to slight Golden State, admit they would like to play the Lakers in the Western Conference final. The teams split their six meetings during the regular season. “We’re not looking ahead, but if we get by the Warriors, there’s no doubt it would be great to play the two-time defending champions,” Sun guard Kevin Johnson said. . . . Game 3 is Thursday at Oakland.