The Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) gets some parting words in with the officials after he got ejected in the first half of the game against the New York Knicks at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Jan 21, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The visiting New York Knicks used their NBA best defense to stun the Warriors 119-104 Thursday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors, playing their third game in four nights, could not get their offense working against New York.

The Knicks, the lowest-scoring team in the NBA with about 101 points per game, scored 40 points in the first quarter. The Warriors scored 31 but trailed by nine after the first 12 minutes. The Warriors had to scramble to put points on the board as New York’s defense was too tough to crack.

The Warriors second unit started the second quarter. Eric Paschall tallied the Warriors first eight points. The Warriors’ defense was able to slow down the Knicks’ offense. Slowly, Golden State clawed their way back.

The Knicks led 55-50. Steph Curry knocked down a three and followed by a two-point bucket to tie the game at 55. The Warriors didn’t know at the time that it would be the closest they would come to take the lead.

New York scored the next six points to lead 61-55 with 1:04 left in the first half. With the Warriors on defense, the referees called a technical foul on Draymond Green. Green was not near anyone.

It was Draymond’s second technical, and by NBA rules, he had to leave the game. The Warriors learned that Green was yelling at James Wiseman and not the referee. Even though it was a mistake, Draymond was finished for the night.

The Warriors hoped they could get the offense going in the second half without him. The Warriors missed his presence as they looked out of sync. The Knicks were able to cruise to victory. 

The Knicks won the third quarter 26-19. Curry did not score in the quarter. New York increased the lead to sixteen in the fourth quarter. They led 97-81. The Warriors could not catch up. The Knicks win 119-104.

Game Notes and Stats: The Knicks, as mentioned above, are the lowest-scoring team in the NBA. They are the best team in the NBA as they allow just 102.7 points per game against them. They have the best three-point defense in the league, too.

The Warriors were nine-for 38 from behind the three-point arc. The referees had their whistles blowing all night. They called the teams for 55 fouls. The Knicks committed 29 and the Warriors 26. The Knicks had 41 free throws from the line and the Warriors 39. 

Curry led the Warriors with 30 points. Andrew Wiggins had 17, James Wiseman 15, Kelly Oubre, Jr. 7, Eric Paschall 12. Draymond tallied three points and had eight assists. He has one of the best basketball IQs in the game. Once he left, the Warriors offense fell by the wayside.

All five Knicks’ starters were in double figures. R.J. Barrett had a career-high 28 points. Julius Randle missed a triple-double. Randle had 16 points, 17 rebounds, and nine assists. Mitchell Robinson had 18 points and eight rebounds. Reggie Bullock, who averages 28% on three-point shots, connected on four threes. Elfrid Payton had 15. Former Warrior, Alec Burks, had 11 in helping the Knicks defeat his old club. 

With the loss, the Warriors are 8-7 for the year. The Knicks are now 8-8.

The Warriors meet the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City Saturday afternoon. The game will start at 2 pm.