Mavericks outlast Warriors win 134-132; Doncic has big night 42 points for Mavs

The Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic (77) goes for the score past Golden State Warriors Andrew Wiggins (22) in the first half action on Sat Feb 6, 2021 in Dallas (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Dallas Mavericks rebounded from their worst loss of the season Thursday night to beat the Golden State Warriors 134-132 Saturday night. The teams played another highly entertaining game as they raced up and down the court.

The Mavericks Luka Doncic tied a career-high with 42 points. The Warriors Steph Curry continued to shine as he knocked down 11 threes on his way to 57 points for the night. It was the eighth time in his storied NBA career that he scored more than 50 points in a game.

The Warriors scored more than 30 points in each of the four quarters. The Mavs also scored more than 30 in the first three quarters. The Warriors held them to 28 in the fourth.

Dallas got off to a blazing start in the first quarter. They raced out to an early 18-2 lead. The Warriors were unfazed. They fought back and were able to finish the first quarter trailing 35-31.

The Mavericks continued to put points on the board in the second quarter. They won the quarter 37-33 to finish the first half leading 72-64. Luka Doncic paced the Dallas offense, while Curry was the scoring leader for Golden State.

The Warriors won the third quarter by three points to trail by five 106-101. The Warriors tied the game at 88 when Juan Toscano-Anderson made a dunk. The Warriors regained the lead 101-100. Tim Hardaway, Jr. scored the last six points of the quarter. He was fouled making a three-pointer. He sank all three free throws. He then connected on a three to give Dallas the lead 106-101.

The Mavericks continued to maintain the lead. They increased the advantage to ten 118-108. The Warriors refused to give up. They chipped away at the Mavericks lead. They came to within a point when Curry drained a three to make it 131-130 with 28 seconds left. The Mavericks Maxi Kleber connected on a three with 5.6 seconds remaining to ice the win for Dallas. Curry made a bucket, but they could not overcome the four-point lead. Dallas wins 134-132.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors record is now 12-11 for the year. Dallas improved to 10-14.

Last Thursday, the Warriors had seven players in double-figures. Saturday night was a different story as only four players were able to score double-digits. Curry led the team with 57 points, two rebounds, and five assists.

He was 19 for 31 from the floor, and he connected on eleven threes in 19 tries. Andrew Wiggins continued his excellent play on both ends of the court. Wiggins finished the night with 22 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Kelly Oubre, Jr., who had a career-high 40 points last Thursday, returned to earth as he recorded 14 points, five rebounds, and one assist.

Kelly was five for 16 from the floor, and he knocked down two threes. Draymond Green was outstanding as a playmaker and a force on defense. Green recorded 15 assists for the second game in a row.

He pulled down six boards, had six steals, and blocked four shots. He scored 11 points Thursday night. It was a different story Saturday night. He took just three shots, good for two points.

He also turned the ball over seven times. Juan Toscano-Anderson had a tough night on offense, too. The young man from East Oakland scored sixteen and fourteen points in the last two games. He did pull down ten rebounds but took just one shot, which tied the game at 88.

Kent Bazemore, coming off the bench, had his best game as a Warrior. He was seven for 11 from the floor and connected on two threes. He finished the night with 20 points. 

Luka Doncic led Dallas with 42 points. The other four Maverick starters all finished in double figures. Maxi Kleber had 16, Kristaps Porzingis 18, Dorian Finney-Smith 10, Josh Richardson 17. Mavericks reserves Timmy Hardaway, Jr had 11, and Dwight Powell 8.

The Warriors meet the San Antonio Spurs Monday and Tuesday nights in San Antonio. Tip off for both games at 5:30 pm.

Warriors romp in win over Mavericks 147-116; Oubre Jr is lights out with 40 pts

The Golden State Warriors Kelly Oubre Jr connects a three point shot against the Dallas Mavericks on Thu Feb 4, 2021 in Dallas (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg 

The Golden State Warriors opened a four-game road trip in Dallas Thursday night. The Warriors had nine players available after the team announced that Eric Paschall could not play due to his knee injury. The Warriors did not have a player taller than six-foot-seven inches.

The Maverick’s lineup featured Kristaps Porzingis at seven-feet-three inches tall, two players at 6-10, Maxi Kleber, and Dwight Powell. Luka Doncic was taller than any Warrior on the floor.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had to figure out how his team could compete with the bigger Maverick team. He inserted Juan Toscano-Anderson at the center position. He knew his team would have to find a way to outrun the Mavericks and find a way to win. The Warriors, all nine of them, played the game as planned. They outran, outhustled, outshot, and blew away the bigger Mavericks to win 147-116.

It was a fast and furious first half of basketball. Steph Curry and Kelly Oubre paced the Warrior attack in the first quarter. Curry had 13, and Kelly eight. The team connected on six threes to lead 36-34.

The Mavericks won the second quarter 42-38 to finish the first half with a narrow two-point lead 76-74.  Oubre led the Warriors with 22 points. It was the most points ever scored by Oubre in any half of basketball in his career. Curry was second with 20.

The Warriors connected on eleven three in 25 tries. The Mavericks Luka Doncic recorded 23 points and connected on three threes. Porzingis had eight, Tim Hardaway, Jr, had 14 points and knocked down four threes. Jalen Brunson, coming off the bench, had 17 points, and he, too, had three threes.

The third quarter belonged to the Warriors. They ran the court, found the open man, and made shots. Oubre continued to excel on both ends of the court.  Curry worked his magic to put points on the board.

The Mavericks kept pace with the Warriors as they trailed 95-93. The Warriors put together a 15-2 run near the end of the quarter to lead 110-95. The Warriors outscored Dallas 36-20 to finish the quarter leading by fourteen 110-96.

The Warriors, as usual, started the fourth quarter with Curry and Draymond Green on the bench. The second unit, led by Oubre and Andrew Wiggins, continued the Warrior onslaught. Backup guards Damion Lee and Mychal Mulder knocked down several threes. They outscored the Mavs 37-20 to win 147-116.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 12-10 for the year. The Mavs are 1-7 in their last eight games and are 9-14 for the year. 

Oubre had his best game of the year as a Warrior. He finished with a career-high 40 points. Oubre had eight rebounds, two assists and was 14 for 21 from the floor. He connected on seven threes in ten tries.

The Warriors had seven of the nine available players in double-figures. Curry finished the night with 28 points, three rebounds, six assists, and he made four threes. Andrew Wiggins had 18. Juan Toscano-Anderson tallied 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists to go along with two threes.

 Green had his best game of the year. Green also had a double-double. He knocked down eleven points, had six boards and fifteen assists. Damion Lee made four three to finish with 17. Mychal Mulder connected on two three and ended the night with 12.

The Warriors shot 57.3% from the floor. They made 22 threes in 43 tries. They outrebounded the bigger Mavs 54-45, and they recorded 37 assists on 51 buckets. They ran the court, made threes, and played well on defense as they held the Mavericks to 40 points in the second half. 

Luka Doncis led the Mavs with 27 points. The Warriors held him to four points in the second half. Porzingis finished with 25. The big Russian made five threes. Tim Hardaway, Jr had 19, and Jalen Brunson knocked down 18.

The Warriors will play the Mavericks again Saturday night at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas. Game tip will start at 5:30 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Wiseman out for ten days and Looney gets ankle injury vs. Celtics

The Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker (right) drives to the hoop with the Golden State Warriors Draymond Green’s (23) back to Walker in the first half during Tue Feb 2, 2021’s game at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 Dave, the Warriors have lost two of their last three games with another loss last night to the Boston Celtics 111-107 at Chase Center in San Francisco. The Celtics Jayson Tatum led Boston in scoring with 27 points in a game that the Warriors lost down the stretch.

#2 The Warriors lost Kevon Looney in last night’s game to ankle injury how much did his injury contribute to lost defense and his offensive scoring against the Celtics?

#3 The Warriors rookie center James Wiseman is gone for the next seven days with a wrist injury. Looney suffered the injury last Saturday against the Detroit Pistons in the third quarter how big was his absence last night?

Join David for the Warriors podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor Tue Feb 2, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Celtics hold on to down Warriors 111-107; Tatum leads Celts with 27

The Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (left) goes for the layup to the surprised look of the Golden State Warriors guard Kelly Oubre Jr (12) on Tue Feb 2, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors tipped off against the Boston Celtics Tuesday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors knew that getting a win against Boston was not going to be easy. Rookie James Wiseman injured his left wrist in the game against Detroit Saturday night and is expected to be out ten days.

Things got worse for the Warriors when Kevon Looney left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury. The Warriors had to play small ball. Eric Paschall and Juan Toscano-Anderson had the task of finding ways to slow down the bigger Celtic team.

The Warriors scrapped and clawed to stay close to Boston. They led 93-91 in the fourth quarter until the Celtics went on a 15-3 run to lead by ten 106-96. The Warriors, as hard as they tried, could not catch the Celtics. Boston won the game 111-107.

The Warriors got off to a good start in the first quarter. Steph Curry led the way with 17 points. The Warriors won the quarter 35-24. 

The Celtics bounced back early in the second quarter against the Warriors second unit. They went on a 13-3 run to cut the deficit to one 38-37. Kelly Oubre, Jr. made a bucket to put the Warriors ahead 40-37. The Celtics went ahead 41-40. Neither team could pull away, and they finished the first half tied 52-52. Curry knocked down 22, and Oubre had 11. Jayson Tatum with 14 and Kemba Walker 12 led the Boston attack. 

The teams continued to battle it out in the third quarter. With Kevon Looney out, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr inserted Juan Toscano-Anderson into the lineup. The young man from East Oakland responded with his best game of the year.

Toscano-Anderson knocked down three threes and finished the night with 16 points. The Celtics increased the lead to eight 74-66. Kent Bazemore hit a three, and Toscano-Anderson made a three-point play to make it a two-point game 74-72. Curry connected on a three to tie the game at 83. The Celtics finished the third quarter leading 86-85. Both teams knew that they had a chance to win the game.

As mentioned above, with the Warriors leading 93-91, Boston went on a 15-3 run to lead by 106-96. Curry and Andrew Wiggins did all they could to get the win, but they ran out of time. The Celtics won 111-107.

Game Notes and stats: With the loss, The Warriors are 11-10 for the year. Boston is 11-8.

Curry led the Warriors with 38 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. He was 12-21 from the floor, and he made seven threes in 15 tries. Wiggins had 15, Oubre, 12, Toscano-Anderson, 16, Kent Bazemore, 10. The Warriors shot 45.8% from the floor and made 15 threes in 38 tries. With the big men out of the game, the Celtics had the edge in rebounding. They pulled down 62 boards. The Warriors had 42. 

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 27. Kemba Walker had 19, Jaylen Brown 18 points and ten rebounds. Grant Williams had 15, and Tristan Thompson 13. 

The Warriors play their next four games in Texas. They play the Dallas Mavericks on February 4th at 4:30 pm and again on February 6th at 5:30 pm. They meet The San Antonio Spurs on February 8th and 9th. 

Warriors bounce back to rout the Pistons 118-91

Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

Behind Steph Curry’s hot shooting, the Golden State Warriors routed the Detroit Pistons 118-91 at the Chase Center Saturday night. The Warriors, smarting from a dismal performance Thursday night in Phoenix, found their motion game as they had little trouble handing the Pistons a defeat. 

The Warriors played well on both ends of the court. Kelly Oubre, Jr., had one of his better games as a Warrior. Oubre knocked down 18 points, six rebounds, and made two threes. Andrew Wiggins continued to show that he fits in well with the Warriors. Wiggins has been a model of consistency for the Warriors this year. Andrew finished with 20 points, four rebounds, and connected on three threes in six tries. Steph Curry was the spark that led the Warriors to a win. Curry showed the Pistons and the NBA his greatness. Curry had quite a night with 28 points, five boards, and seven assists. He was 8 for 14 from the floor, and he made six threes in eight attempts.

The Warriors won all four quarters of the game. They won the first quarter 29-17. They finished the first half with a 19-point advantage 64-45. The Warriors continued to pour it on in the third quarter to lead 94-68. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr kept Curry on the bench for the final 12 minutes of the game. The Warriors won 118-91.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 11-9 for the year. They have won three of the last four games. The Pistons fell to 5-15.

Rookie James Wiseman just missed a double-double. Wiseman, coming off the bench, kicked in with 11 points and nine rebounds. In 20 minutes on the court, Jordan Poole tallied 20 points and was 3 for 6 from behind the three-point arc. Poole and rookie guard are heading to the Orlando bubble to play for the Warriors’ G-League team Santa Cruz. Both young men need more playing time to keep their skills sharp.

The Warriors shot 52.2% from the floor. They made 17 threes in 36 tries. As mentioned above, they moved the ball well as they recorded 34 assists. They also outrebounded the Pistons 53-49.

The Warriors’ next seven games are not going to be easy. They meet the Boston Celtics at the Chase Center Tuesday night. They travel to Texas for two with the Dallas Mavericks, and two with the San Antonio Spurs. They return home to face the improved Orlando Magic team, the Brooklyn Nets, with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. 

Up Next: The Warriors’ game with the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night will start at 7 pm PT.

Warriors’ offense flounders in Phoenix, Suns win easily 114-93

Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

Hoping to earn their first three-game winning streak this season, the Golden State Warriors failed to generate enough offense to beat the Phoenix Suns. The Warriors trailed Phoenix by five at the half 52-47. The Warriors usually play better in the second half, but not Thursday night, as the Suns won both the third and fourth quarters to win 114-93.

The Warriors’ Kelly Oubre, Jr, James Wiseman, and Damion Lee all performed well against Minnesota Wednesday night. Their performances on Thursday was the exact opposite. Oubre finished with four points. He was 1-for-11 from the floor and did not make a three in five tries. Wiseman, who scored 25 against Minnesota, had five points and was 2-for-9 from the field.

Damion Lee did not score. He had 17 against Minnesota. The Warriors had three players in double figures. Steph Curry 27, Andrew Wiggins 16, and Eric Pascall 12. Seven Suns’ player had more than 10 points in the game.

The Suns were playing the last game of a four-game homestand. The visiting teams won all three very closely contested games. The Suns lost one in overtime, one in double-overtime, and one in regulation. They needed to beat the Warriors. They were without the star backcourt ace, Devin Booker, out with a hamstring injury. Dario Saric was not available due to COVID-19 protocol. The Suns found a way to win. They got off to a good start and were able to break down the Warriors’ defense as they outscored Golden State 36-29. 

The Warriors slowed down the Phoenix offense in the second quarter. They held the Suns to 16 points. Typically, the Warriors would have grabbed the lead. Thursday was not a typical night. The Warriors knocked down 18 to finish the first half trailing by five, 52-47. Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins led the team with 13 and 12, respectively. Brad Wanamaker was third in scoring with six. 

Early in the third quarter, the Warriors closed to within one, 58-57. Phoenix went on an 11-0 run to make it 69-57. The Warriors could not generate any offense. They were toast. The Suns outscored them 33-24 to lead 85-71 after three quarters of play.

In the fourth quarter, Eric Paschall started making some baskets to keep the Warriors close. The Suns responded with an 11-2 run to lead 100-81. With five minutes left in the game, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr inserted his bench players to finish the game. The Suns won 114-93.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 10-9 for the year. The Suns are now 9-8. 

The Warriors shot 38.9% from the floor. They made 11 threes in 38 tries. Phoenix shot 46.6% from the floor, and they made 11 threes in 32 attempts. 

Up Next: The Warriors return home to face the Detroit Pistons Saturday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm PT.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors could take two game series Wednesday against Minnesota

The Golden State Warriors Andrew Wiggins (left) takes the ball in front of the Minnesota Timberwolves Jarrett Culver (right) during Mon Jan 25, 2021’s game at Chase Center in San Francisco in game 1 of the 2 game series (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 Dave, the Warriors had absolute control of the Minnesota Timberwolves and got top scoring from Andrew Wiggins with 23 points and Stephen Curry with 36.

#2 Talk about Kevon Looney taking James Wiseman’s place at center do you see this being a permanent line up change or until Wiseman learns the ropes a little more?

#3 The Timberwolves have lost six of their last seven games and are struggling and the Warriors have had some strong wins talk about how you see this match up Wednesday night for game two?

David Zizmor does the Warriors podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors down Timberwolves 130-108; Curry leads W’s offense with 36 points

Stephen Curry (30) of the Golden State Warriors led all scorers with 36 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Mon Jan 25, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

 The Golden State Warriors bounced back after two straight losses to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 130-108. The Wolves did not have point guard D’Angelo Russell in the lineup Monday night.

Russell is recovering from a quadricep injury. He may be available Wednesday night when the two teams play again. The T-Wolves star center Karl-Anthony Towns was not available as he is under the NBA’s Covid-19 protocol. 

Having the most challenging schedule in the NBA for the first 16 games, the Warriors knew they had a chance to get back on the winning track Monday night. Head coach Steve Kerr wanted the team to get off to a good start against Minnesota.

They fell behind in the first quarter against the Knicks and the Jazz in the last two games, and it cost them as they lost both. Kerr tweaked the starting lineup by inserting Kevon Looney at the center slot instead of rookie James Wiseman.

The move paid off as the Warriors raced out to an early 19-4 advantage. The T-Wolves’ offense came to life, but they could not catch the Warriors. Golden State finished the first quarter 34-23.

Minnesota started the quarter with an 8-0 run. Behind Brad Wanamaker, Eric Paschall, and Kent Bazemore, the Warriors increased the lead to 46-33. The second unit played well, and the Warriors cruised to a 68-55 lead.

Although the Warriors led wire-to-wire, the T-Wolves made a run in the third quarter to cut the deficit to ten. They won the quarter 29-25 to make the game a little more interesting. The Warriors were able to maintain the lead, but Minnesota did not quit.

They kept playing hard. They ran the court, played defense to force turnovers, and the Warriors knew that Minnesota would be back in the game with one or two miscues. The Warriors, leading 93-83 at the start of the fourth quarter, saw Minnesota cut the lead to eight 103-95 with 6:45 to play.

 Curry re-entered the game at this point. Curry showed the T-Wolves and the NBA the reasons he was a two-time NBA MVP. Curry scored the Warriors’ next 12 points to put them ahead 115-101.

After a Brad Wanamaker’s bucket, Curry connected on another three to give Golden State a commanding lead 121-103. Curry scored 15 points in three minutes and 20 seconds of play. He was four for five and made three threes. The game was over as the Warriors cruised to a 130-108 win.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 9-8 for the season. The T-Wolves are 4-12. 

The Warriors had five players in double figures Monday night. Curry led the team with 36 points, four rebounds, three assists. Curry made seven threes. Andrew Wiggins continued to play well at both ends of the court.

Wiggins, facing his former team since the trade last year, knocked down 23 points. He connected on two threes. Kelly Oubre, Jr. had 14, Draymond Green 10, and James Wiseman 13.

Minnesota’s offensive leader was Malik Beasley, with 30. Jarred Vanderbilt had 12, Naz Reid 11 points and ten rebounds, and Jordan McLaughlin 15. The T-Wolves star rookie, the number one pick in this year’s NBA draft, Anthony Edwards, tallied 15.

The same two teams meet Wednesday night again at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

Jazz hit all the right notes blast Warriors 127-108; Third loss in five games for Golden State

The Utah Jazz Donavon Mitchell (45) is defended by the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) on Sat Jan 23, 2021 in Salt Lake City (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Utah Jazz (12-4) sent a message to the Golden State Warriors (8-8) and the rest of the NBA that they are one of the elite teams in the Western Conference of the NBA. They entered the game with a seven-game winning streak and a record of 11-4. The Jazz improved on that streak extending it to eight with a convincing 127-198 win over the Warriors. 

Their roster includes the two-time defensive player of the year, Rudy Gobert. The veteran Michael Conley and Donovan Mitchell form an outstanding backcourt. Royce O’Neale and sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic are the forwards. The Jazz has two outstanding reserves in Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson. 

The Warriors, smarting from the loss to the New York Knicks last Thursday, hoped to start well against Utah Saturday night. Alas, that did not happen. Utah jumped off to an early 14-0 lead. They increased the lead to 17, 19-2 before the Warriors could get the offense working.

The Warriors started putting points on the board. They scored 30 points in the quarter. Their problem was the Jazz scored 39. The Warriors started the second quarter, hoping to get back in the game.

The Jazz had other thoughts. They continued to make three-point shots while the Warriors’ offense floundered. The Jazz outscored the Dubs 38-119 to finish the first half with a 30-point advantage,77-47.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 13 points and made three threes. Curry tied Reggie Miller for second place for most three is a career with 2560. His next three would put him into second place all by himself.

Curry’s first bucket of the third quarter was a three. He now has 2561 threes and is second place for most threes in a career. Ray Allen holds the record with 2973 threes. Curry is on track to break the record in the next two or three years. As for the game, things continued to head south for the Warriors. The Jazz continued to punish Golden State. The led 108-72 with 12 minutes left to play.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr chose to play his reserves for the entire fourth quarter. Utah coach Quin Snyder pulled his starters. The Warriors won the period 36-19, but it was too little, and too late. 

Game Notes and Stats:  Curry led the Warriors with 24 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. He made five threes in ten tries. James Wiseman had 15 points and five boards. Andrew Wiggins 13, Kelly Oubre, Jr. 5. Bench reserves Jordan Poole had 10, Nico Mannion eight, including two threes, and Damion Lee nine.

The Jazz had six players in double figures. Donovan Mitchell had 23, Michael Conley 17, Rudy Gobert 11 points and 14 rebounds, Bojan Bogdonavic14. Joe Ingles knocked down 13, and Jordan Clarkson added 14.

The Jazz connected on 23-point shots. The Warriors made 14. The Jazz outrebounded the Dubs 69-41. With the win, the Jazz are 12-4. The Lakers are 13-4, and the Clippers are 12-4. The Jazz are making a statement that they are to considered an elite team. Time will tell. 

The Warriors are now 8-8 for the year. The Warriors return home to play two games against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, January 23rd, and Wednesday the 25th. The game time will start at 7 pm at Chase Center in San Francisco.

New York Knicks’ defense sends Warriors down to defeat 119-104

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.