Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) led with 31 points against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York Thu Feb 29, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors were in the Big Apple Thursday night to face the New York Knickerbockers. Both teams were without key players. Andrew Wiggins of the Warriors was unavailable for Thursday’s game due to “personal matters.”

As he did last year, the Warriors’ head coach has yet to determine when Wiggins will return. The Knicks Justin Randle and OG Anunoby could not play as they are recovering from injuries. The Knicks, without the two stars, are 4-6 over the last ten games. The Warriors inserted Moses Moody into the lineup in place of Wiggins.

The Knicks, under coach Tom Thibodeau, are an excellent rebounding team and rank in the top five defensive squads in the NBA. The Warriors were 20th in defense without Draymond Green. Since Green’s return, the Warriors are among the top five defensive teams in the NBA.

The Warriors have won 11 of the last 14 games. Veteran point guard Chris Paul will be playing his second game since returning from a broken hand. The Warriors led wire-to-wire to win, 110-99.

The Warriors went on a 14-0 run to start the game. Stephen Curry and Jonathan Kuninga were the players that got the offense going in the first quarter. Curry knocked down three threes, and Kuninga had the other five points to give the Warriors the early 14-0 advantage.

The Knicks woke from their slumber and started putting points on the board. The Warriors offense cooled down, but the Warriors still finished the first quarter leading 31-19. Curry tallied 11 points and had seven rebounds in the period.

The seven rebounds tied a career-high for rebounds in any quarter. New York got their offense going and won the second quarter 27-24. Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and former Warriors Donte DiVincenzo paced the Knicks’ attack. The Warriors finished the first half leading 55-46. Curry had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. 

The Knicks knew they had to outscore the Warriors in the third quarter. They tried hard, but the Warriors refused to bend. The Warriors got help from Green, who did not score a point in the first half, Klay Thompson, and Jonathan Kuminga. The Warriors outscored the Knicks by one point, 25-24, and increased the lead to ten, 80-70, at the end of the third quarter.

The Knicks knew a ten-point deficit starting the fourth quarter could be overcome. The Knicks were hoping to go on a run and close the gap. The Warriors have blown several leads in the fourth quarter this season. The Knicks’ defense had to stop the Warriors.

The Warriors had to ensure they did not blow another fourth-quarter lead. The Knicks went on a 13-2 run to trail by four, 89-85. Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski made a bucket to up the lead to 94-85. Curry hit his seventh three of the night to give the Warriors a ten-point advantage, 100-90. Curry made another three to 103-92. The Warriors had time on their side. The Knicks could not catch the Warriors. The Warriors won the game 110-99. 

Game Notes: The Warriors are now 31-27 with the win. They are 12-3 in their last 15 games. They have won the first two games of the four-game road trip. The Knicks fall to 35-25. The Knicks have lost seven of the last 11 games.

Curry loves playing in New York. Curry’s numbers were 31 points, 11 rebounds, and made eight threes. Curry has had 82 games with eight or more threes in his career. No other player comes close to Curry’s record.

Curry was +20 on the court. Jonathan Kuminga added 25 points. Green finished with seven points, ten boards, and six assists. Green was +19. Thompson, coming off the bench, knocked down 16. Chris Paul had 11. The Warriors had 58 points in the paint.

The Warrior’s defense held the Knicks to 36.9% from the floor. The Warriors committed 11 turnovers. 

Jalen Brunson led New York with 27, DiVincenzo had 16, and Josh Hart 16. Miles McBride added 14, and Jericho Sims added 10.

The Warriors flew to Toronto immediately after the game. The Warriors will play the Raptors on Friday night. The Raptors blew out the Warriors at the Chase Center earlier in the season. The Warriors want to get the win Friday night to even the season’s series. The game will start at 4:30 pm.