The Golden State Warriors keep winning games on the road. Golden State took an important win in New York Thursday night, securing a wire-to-wire 110-99 victory.
It started early with Curry, and ended with him
A Warriors team which has frequently started slow this season had no such struggles in Madison Square Garden. As usual, Curry — whose last game there was breaking Ray Allen's 3-point record — started hot.
It began with a Curry 3-pointer, then two more inside the first three minutes. The Warriors stymied the Knicks defensively, jumping out to a 20-4 lead.
This was a game of the Warriors starting out hot, and applying the requisite physicality and effort to hold onto it. Curry set the tone early on the offensive end.
More importantly, after kicking it off, Curry closed it. He hit a couple of monumental 3-pointers to buoy Golden State in the final minutes, finishing with 31 points (11-of-26, 8-of-18 from 3-pt), 11 rebounds, one assist, one steal and 3 turnovers.
Kuminga outstanding
What can't you say about Jonathan Kuminga's performance Thursday night? He was fantastic, affecting every facet of the game. That is, he did everything but make a shot from deep.
That's a compliment, not a criticism. Kuminga has taken just one 3-pointer in the past two games (his only attempt Thursday was wide open), and he's thriving with that approach. He isn't forcing bad shots. He's picking his spots, driving to the rim with more regularity, and understanding better when to take his one-on-ones.
His impact was present throughout, but especially when it mattered most. When the Warriors' lead was cut down to four points, they leaned on Kuminga. The Knicks through pressure at Curry, and Kuminga continued to come open, driving to the rim and getting a pair of and-ones in the latter parts of the fourth.
He ended with 25 points (12-of-19), 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. If he was anything other than brilliant, the Warriors might have lost to a shorthanded Knicks team that was relentless.
Rebounding, defense in transition and young spark
In general, the collective intelligence and understanding of the Warriors has risen monumentally from the first half of the season. Things are clicking.
By clicking, I'm talking about the flow of the offense, regardless of the group, the awareness and proactivity to run and rebound in transition, to blitz key players like Jalen Brunson and force people the Warriors don't mind taking shots to take them.
Podziemski, Moody and Kuminga looked really comfortable out there. While Podziemski's shot was off, all three had major impacts on the game. Moody's physicality was apparent both on the glass and as a defender. Kuminga, as stated, was awesome.
Never was that more clear than when the Knicks cut the Warriors lead to four points in the middle of the fourth quarter, and Moody got a block on Alec Burks. Kuminga got the outlet, ran like a madman the other way, then drove and finished for an and-one he couldn't finish.
Nearly the identical thing happened the following possession, when a defensive stop turned into a Podziemski cut and finish for an and-one attempt with a failure at the line. It was a third-straight miss at the line from Golden State.
But their defense remained stellar, getting them stops and second chances.
After a Curry turnover, Kuminga responded with another and-one, this time converting it at the line.
You could see the effect of youth and IQ in the Warriors' closing lineup. They ended with Curry, Kuminga, Moody, Draymond Green and Podziemski/Chris Paul. Paul's impact, in particular, has been a revelation, especially for the second unit. He stabilizes and organizes in much the same way that Green does. That collective intelligence is permeating.
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