Washington had 40 points as the Valley moves on.
The Valley Suns made their mark in their inaugural G League season, and on Tuesday night, they took their first playoff step with a hard-fought 131-127 victory over the Santa Cruz Warriors. In a battle between the fifth-seeded Suns and fourth-seeded Warriors, the Valley arrived on enemy turf and handled their business, advancing past the single-elimination round.
this is not an april fools joke – WE’RE HEADED TO THE WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINAL ☄️ pic.twitter.com/ZrAvOVNAty
— Valley Suns (@GLeagueSuns) April 2, 2025
TyTy Washington Jr. was unstoppable, pouring in 40 points on an efficient 16-of-27 shooting. Mamadi Diakite anchored the interior with a double-double, tallying 11 points and 12 rebounds, while Jaden Shackelford added 21 points to fuel the offensive attack.
The Suns built a commanding 19-point lead in the third quarter, but the Warriors stormed back, outscoring them 38-23 in the period to set up a tense final frame. With the season on the line, the Valley locked in defensively, holding Santa Cruz to just 15 fourth-quarter points and sealing the win.
Their reward? A showdown with the top-seeded Stockton Kings on Thursday night in the Western Conference Semifinals. The two teams split their regular-season series 1-1. This too is a one-game playoff, as is the Western Conference Finals. Only the G League Finals are in a series format, with the champion being crowned after winning a best-of-three series.
The Valley Suns have now won more playoff games than their big league affiliate, the Phoenix Suns, have in the last 695 days.
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