Stephen Curry got out of his shooting game and scored 31 points with eight 3-pointers as the Warriors beat the New York Knicks 110-99 on Thursday.
Curry scored a double-double in the first half and finished with 11 rebounds to help the Warriors achieve their 12th win in 15 games.
Jonathan Kuminga had 25 points, eight rebounds and two blocks for the Warriors (31-27). Klay Thompson added 16 points and five rebounds. Draymond Green scored seven points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. Chris Paul had 11 points, six assists and three steals.
Golden State, who entered half a game behind the Los Angeles Lakers in ninth place in the Western Conference, never trailed despite an uneven night offensively, but made up for it with one of its best defensive games of the season.
The Knicks (35-25), fourth in the Eastern Conference, shot 36.8 percent from the floor and committed 12 turnovers.
The Warriors earned their second straight win without Andrew Wiggins, who remained away from the team for personal reasons. Moses Moody started in Wiggins' absence and had eight points and four rebounds.
Here are the highlights of Thursday's match at Madison Square Garden:
The fast start sets the tone
The Warriors set the tone early when they opened the second leg of this road trip with a 14-0 run, which could have, and probably should have, been bigger. That early spurt, Golden State's longest in a start since 1977-78, put the Knicks on track for the NBA's second-longest opening streak through the 2023-24 season.
Curry led the charge and hit his first three 3-pointers, while Moody took a pass from Green under the basket, then pump faked, scored and was fouled. The three-point play put Golden State ahead 20-4.
The Knicks, who remained scoreless in the first six minutes of the game, quickly advanced and reduced the score to 55-46 in the first half when former Warrior Donte DiVincenzo made two of three free throw attempts after being fouled by Green with a tenth of the ball. The remaining second is in the second quarter.
That fast start was crucial as the Knicks controlled much of the second half and held an 89-85 lead in the fourth quarter before Kuminga helped the Dubs pull away.
Steve bounces back
Too much fatigue and exhaustion for Curry.
The two-time Player of the Match, whose shots had been blocked in the previous two matches, found his rhythm early and never gave up. Its arrival at Madison Square Garden is certainly no surprise. Curry's light has always shone brightest in the Big Apple where he has historically played some of his most brilliant games.
This time it was another standout performance by the Warriors' standout shooter.
Curry scored 11 of his points in the first quarter and grabbed seven rebounds, tying the most in any quarter of his career. He had a double-double in the first half and was 11 of 26 shooting.
This should put to rest any worries or worries about Curry's stamina. As he pointed out a few days ago, there will be ups and downs in any season, and the downs are magnified even more when they happen to a player of Curry's caliber. It seems to be back on the rise now.
Battle of the councils
The game was a matchup between two of the best rebounding teams in the NBA. This time, the Knicks had the upper hand, 67-62.
New York, which ranks second in the NBA in terms of offensive rebounds, had the advantage there as well, but was unable to sufficiently capitalize on the additional scoring opportunities.
Part of that was due to Golden State's defense making up for most of the team's mistakes elsewhere. This alone is an encouraging sign for this team as the season heads into its final few months.
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