The Knicks make a statement with a big win over the Warriors, who are now 3-0 on their road trip
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After beating the Warriors at home on Monday, the Knicks are now 3-0 on their trip up the West Coast. They only need to beat the Nuggets during their trip to Denver on Thursday to complete the sweep. New York had to play the Dubs Dynasty without OG Anunboy because he was “questionable” to play earlier in the week. Later, he had to fly back to NYC for more MRIs on his injured arm, ruling him out of the game.
Here’s what Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau and some players said about what happened yesterday.
Mr. Tom Thibodeau
About beating the Warriors on the road and making it four wins in a row: “This team has shown all year that there is a lot of fight, heart, toughness, and togetherness in the group.” That’s why people think we can win. We always talk about how to defend, get blocks, and handle the ball. I believe we shared the ball very well tonight.”
On Josh Hart’s triple-double against Golden State, “You can’t say enough good things about what Josh did.” It helped us a lot that Josh was tough in this game. Why Miles McBride was picked to start instead of Precious Achiuwa. The goal was to make the floor more shooting-friendly. That’s the real reason we did it. Now that they sent the second defender to Brunson, we have another player who can make threes. We believed that would make a difference.
Thanks to the win, the Knicks still hold the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference. There are still 14 games to play, so moving up in the ranks is still possible.
The No. 3 Cleveland Cavaliers are two games ahead of the Knicks, and the No. 2 Milwaukee Bucks are three games ahead of them. The Orlando Magic are in fifth place, three games behind the Philadelphia 76ers in sixth, the Indiana Pacers in seventh, and the Miami Heat in eighth. Both teams have won one game each.
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As the Knicks continue to do well in the second half of the season, their win over the desperate Warriors (who dropped to 10th in the West) is a big deal. Many teams claim to be “next man up,” but the Knicks have endured significant injuries this season. Since the playoffs start on April 20, the next few weeks are even more important. If the Knicks have stayed in the top four even though most of their starting frontcourt hasn’t been available, what’s the plan when everyone is healthy?
Mitchell Robinson is getting better faster than expected after surgery on his left ankle in December. It looks like he will be back soon.
Anunoby’s condition needs to be checked after he hurt his surgically fixed right elbow twice after getting up from the floor. He probably won’t be able to play against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.
And there’s still no word on Randle, who hurt his right shoulder on January 27 and hasn’t been able to fully touch the ball in drills yet. His return date is still unknown. It’s clear that the Knicks don’t care who’s not on the court. They’re going to go out there because they think what they have is more than enough, they’re going to go out there with it.
On Monday night, Curry’s Warriors had no trouble with the Knicks’ small team. And if the Knicks can get healthy again, beating the 10th seed in the West might not be as impressive as what they can do at The Garden in the playoffs.
