Back to the future: Warriors vs. Knicks
How did Golden State do with their keys to victory against New York?
The Golden State Warriors got a very needed win on Tuesday night, beating the New York Knicks 114-106.
A win is a win is a win, but how did they do with their pregame keys to victory? Let’s revisit and find out.
Stay disciplined
The key: Don’t let the deflating losses lead to sloppy and undisciplined play.
The outcome: The Warriors didn’t always play well at Madison Square Garden, but they sure were disciplined. They had just 10 turnovers against 30 assists. They limited the fouls, committing five fewer than their counterparts. They kept the poor shots at bay.
It was a smart and disciplined game after two very difficult losses.
Grading the key: 9 out of 10.
Star power
The key: Steph Curry and Draymond Green lead the way.
The outcome: Green had a very, very Draymondian line: 7 points, 9 rebounds, 12 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. And Curry was a superstar, with 37 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, while shooting 7-for-14 from distance.
They both had a game high plus-minus of +19, and genuinely looked like a star duo.
Which is what they are.
Grading the key: 9 out of 10.
Centers
The key: Kevon Looney and James Wiseman don’t look too rusty.
The outcome: Looney played his usual solid defense, and added 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Wiseman kind of did the inverse, having some struggles with the little things, but scoring 14 points in 16 minutes on 6-for-9 shooting (nice).
They weren’t super dynamic, but they were solid and relatively rust-free.
Grading the key: 7.5 out of 10.
Easy looks
The key: Find some easy looks against the Knicks strong defense.
The outcome: It wasn’t the best offensive performance in the world — especially in the fourth quarter — but the Dubs did get some easy looks at times. They found a lot of open threes, and a few uncontested dunks and layups.
Against one of the better defenses in the league, that was a win.
Grading the key: 7 out of 10.
After the game, Steve Kerr was asked what he didn’t like about the Warriors performance. His response? “Nothing.”
A win is a win is a win.