Steph Curry had his worst shooting night against the Phoenix Suns with minimum 20 shots taken; so how did the Suns contain Chef Curry after all?

The Phoenix Suns' defense made life miserable for the reigning NBA scoring champ [Photo: NBA.com Canada]

Steph Curry had his worst performance of the season against the rampaging Phoenix Suns last night. The Golden State Warriors were beaten 104-96 to fall to 18-3 for the season and tied the Suns for the best record in the NBA. The two-time MVP shot only 4-21 from the field and 3-14 from three-point range.

The reigning scoring champ’s dismal shooting was his worst ever when attempting a minimum of 20 shots. Given how the 33-year-old has been torching the basket this season, the misses were startling to see, particularly in the Warriors’ biggest game of the season.

Steph Curry just had the worst shooting night of his career when attempting at least 20 shots, via @NBAonTNT

Mikal Bridges locked up Steph tonight. 🔒 https://t.co/4fUFVqVrC0

Steph Curry’s 12 points against the Phoenix Suns ties his lowest for the season. He also had 12 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors on November 21. However, he took twice as few shots in the Raptors game than he did against the Suns.

The remarkable defensive job done by the Phoenix Suns has fans wondering how they were able to contain the greatest shooter of all time. Did they cook up something different? Was their defense something Steph Curry has not seen in his 13-year career in the NBA?

Here’s how the Phoenix Suns limited one of the game’s greatest scorers ever.

The Phoenix Suns were committed to letting the other Warriors beat them

The rest of the Golden State Warriors just could not take advantage of the overwhelming attention that Steph Curry attracted against the Phoenix Suns [Photo: Sportsnaut]

When he is at his best, only a handful of players in the history of the NBA can cause panic on defense like Steph Curry. He just causes so much dread in the opponents that he can change or influence defensive schemes even when he is not holding the ball. The way the Phoenix Suns played defense on the two-time MVP was an example of this.

Mikal Bridges, Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and a host of Phoenix Suns bodies were fully committed to making life difficult for Steph Curry. Countless times during the game, Curry defenders were fully marking the dead-eye shooter even when the action was happening somewhere else.

The strategy looks borderline hilarious, but Phoenix made the commitment to take the Warriors’ best player out of the game that way. It’s one of the reasons why Jordan Poole got hot so early. He just had several open looks, mainly because of the Phoenix Suns’ defensive scheme.

The rest of the Golden State Warriors just couldn't capitalize on the open looks that Steph Curry generated.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks says Mikal Bridges deserves a spot on the Western Conference All-Star Team

“We gotta start rewarding guys for their defense” https://t.co/tLMRbzYlaU

Mikal Bridges has to be given special mention for the defensive gem against Steph Curry. His Defensive Player of the Year candidacy should get a boost after his phenomenal performance.

The Phoenix Suns are a pest on defense

The Phoenix Suns have been spectacular on defense this season [Photo: Arizona's Family]

Despite the potential of a flashy offensive outburst from both teams, the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns was likely going to be a battle on defense. In this game, the Suns were the better defensive team, and it showed throughout the encounter.

The Phoenix Suns are second only to the Bay Area team in defensive rating. Where coach Monty Williams’ team really made their presence felt was in their ability to limit opponents' shooting efficiency from 20-24 feet. They are allowing opponents only 33.2% from this area. It's the same area where Steph Curry poses the most danger. Curry’s 3-14 long-range shooting was partly due to the Suns’ defensive ability and philosophy.

Steph Curry just had an off-night

The deadliest shooter in the history of the NBA just could not drain the shots he normally makes [Photo: The SportsRush]

Despite all the accolades that the Phoenix Suns’ defense, particularly Mikal Bridges, earned in this game, the fact also remains that Steph Curry just missed some shots. The Baby-Faced Assassin, in his 13-year NBA career, has seen every type of defensive scheme known to man. He has learned to adjust and beat these schemes throughout the years. There is not a single defensive strategy that has been known to consistently bottle up the game’s greatest shooter.

Against the Phoenix Suns’ length and aggressive defense, Steph Curry still managed to shoot 10 open jumpers. Of the 17 missed field goal attempts, 10 were shot with a defender no closer than two feet from him. It’s one of those days when the shots just didn’t fall. He even had a point-blank lay-in that just didn't go in.

Every Steph missed shot vs Phoenix: https://t.co/tB2evXGoGa

The two teams will have an immediate rematch on December 3 on the Golden State Warriors’ home floor. One can already see Steph Curry straining through the leash to erase this terrible performance. If he gets the same kind of looks he got today, there's a big chance he's not missing many of them the next time they meet.