PHOENIX -- How do you stop a team that stomps opponents on off nights?

Here's an illustration of what's terrifying about the 17-0 Warriors, aside from the fact they're 17-0. On Friday night, Golden State was torched on defense, ceding 116 points on 92 shots to the host Phoenix Suns. The Warriors were sloppy on offense, lousy with unforced errors, coughing it up 23 times. A bad game for them, in a few respects.

Still, they won by 19, 135-116. Also, they didn't even need to play Stephen Curry in the fourth quarter. As in, the game ceased being competitive after three stanzas. The Suns were done. An unholy torrent of 3-point shooting had snuffed them. In his three quarters, Curry delivered 41 points and nine 3-pointers. The team set a record, splashing 22 from deep.

The Suns went small, attempting to best Golden State at its preferred style. What resulted was an aesthetically pleasing, fast-forwarded look at basketball. Phoenix already had dug a hole by then and couldn't keep pace with Golden State in rhythm, hitting so many 3s. The Suns had a great night beyond the arc, draining 10 3-pointers on 26 attempts. Other teams just aren't supposed to top that figure by 12.

Golden State, despite all the "streak" questions, continues to focus on process. Interim coach Luke Walton said, "We turned the ball over too much, we still have to get better at that." Breakout All-Star candidate Draymond Green, who claimed a triple-double Friday, said, "I don't think our performance was great tonight. You can't let fool's gold fool you." It makes sense. The Warriors hit some 3s they won't usually hit. They need to tighten up, fix certain things that might hurt them later.

If it's fool’s gold though, what glitters still has to make other teams shiver with woe. Curry was brilliant, which would seem redundant, possibly even boring, if not for his propensity to unveil a new trick every game. This time, with Ronnie Price attempting to pressure him, Curry evoked three gasps on one play from the "away" crowd. First, with a behind-the-back dribble that left Price grasping. Then, with a pump fake that sent Price flying. And finally, the punctuating swish. Gasp. Gasp. Gasp. Cheer.

"Afterward, it felt like a neutral site game at that point," Curry said of what his play did to the crowd.

So when will the Warriors lose? It could be sooner rather than later because of an injury to Harrison Barnes. While subbing at center, Barnes' ankle gave way when he landed on Markieff Morris. The team says it's a sprain and that X-rays are negative. Still, the expectation is he will miss some time, and Golden State will be without its dominant "death lineup" of Green-Barnes-Andre Iguodala-Klay Thompson-Curry. That could end the streak, as could the basic law of averages. No team goes undefeated, no matter how great.

Curry, though, still is leaving his possibilities open -- just a bit. After the game, the reigning MVP said, "We're obviously, probably going to lose a game."

Obviously. Probably. Recently, the Warriors have been good enough to make it seem like "possibly." While their ability to prevent the inevitable might be an illusion, their dominance is all too real. The Warriors are 100-20 in the Steve Kerr era, haven't yet lost more than two games in a row and remain, of course, unbeaten this season.

Friday night, they couldn't be fooled by fool's gold. Translation: When they play better than this, there's no one better than this.