Stephen Curry ended a scoring drought with a tie-breaking three-pointer with 3:38 to play and the visiting Golden State Warriors survived a slow-starting 4th quarter to hold off the New York Knicks, 114-106, on Tuesday night, February 23 (Wednesday, February 24, Philippine time).
Draymond Green bounced back from a costly late-game ejection Saturday at Charlotte with 7 points, a team-high 9 rebounds and a game-high 12 assists as the Warriors won for the first time in 3 games on their current trip and avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season.
The Warriors led 94-85 entering the 4th quarter, but scored just 3 points in the first 8:10 of the period, allowing the Knicks to rally into a 97-all tie.
But Curry, who had missed his annual homecoming in Charlotte with an illness, then connected on his momentum-turning three-pointer, triggering Golden State’s fast finish.
Curry later added a three-point play and Kelly Oubre Jr capped a 19-point night with two late dunks and a pair of free throws, helping Golden State avenge an earlier 119-104 drubbing at the hands of the Knicks in San Francisco last month.
Curry finished with a game-high 37 points, hitting 7 of his 14 three-point attempts and all 12 of his free throws, to pace the Warriors, who complete a back-to-back Wednesday night at Indiana.
Julius Randle, who learned just before the opening tip that he’d been named to his first NBA All-Star team, had a team-high 25 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists for the Knicks, who lost for just the second time in their last 6 games.
Randle was ejected from the game after drawing a second technical foul with 17.5 seconds remaining.
Andrew Wiggins had 16 points and James Wiseman, playing for the first time in 11 games while rehabbing a sprained wrist, added 14 points in 16 minutes off the bench for Golden State.
Elfrid Payton backed Randle with 20 points, Derrick Rose chipped in 16 to complement a team-high 8 assists and Taj Gibson collected a team-high 11 rebounds for the Knicks, who outboarded the Warriors 56-41.
Payton and Rose had 12 points apiece in a high-scoring first half that saw the Knicks build a 59-55 lead. Rose also had 6 assists in 12 minutes off the bench, helping New York overcome an early nine-point deficit.
Curry was held to just 11 points, 9 on three-pointers, in the half. – Rappler.com
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