Curry, Thompson lead Warriors over Knicks

[March 06, 2017]  NEW YORK -- An emergency trip to the dentist on Saturday didn't slow down Stephen Curry on Sunday against the New York Knicks.

The two-time league MVP poured in 31 points, breaking out of a two-game shooting slump, to give the Golden State Warriors (51-11) a 112-105 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Curry was 11 of 24 and 5 of 13 from beyond the arc. He also recorded eight rebounds and six assists.

In the first two games of Golden State's five-game road trip, Curry was 4 of 31.

Curry felt discomfort in his mouth after Saturday's practice and a personal appearance. He tweeted a video of his procedure in the dentist's chair and though he got off to a sluggish first quarter, missing all four of his 3-pointers, Curry responded with a big third quarter, scoring 15 of the Warriors 35 points.

He closed the quarter with two 3-pointers and a spinning layup.

"That's what Steph (Curry) does," said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. "He is probably better than anybody in the league at closing quarters with big shots and momentum changing shots.

"That gave us an eight-point lead (84-76) going into the fourth. We were able to extend it from there. The Knicks made a nice push, but having that cushion going into the quarter was huge."

Curry's 'Splash Brother,' Klay Thompson, added 29 points, marking the 42d time in their careers they have both scored at least 25 or more points in a game and the seventh time this season.

Derrick Rose led the Knicks (25-38) with 28 points and Kristaps Porzingis contributed 24 points and 15 rebounds.

The Warriors (51-11) avoided a three-game losing streak, something they haven't achieved in 293 straight games. Golden State is 1-2 since losing star forward Kevin Durant to a knee injury.

"We're surviving to this point," said Kerr. "It was good to get a win without him tonight. This is how it's going to be for a while, so we have to get used to it."

A brief 8-2 run sealed the win, putting Golden State ahead 110-101 with 1:09 left.

A pair of free throws from Thompson extended the Warriors lead to 96-83 with 9:04 to play, but the Knicks put together a 13-1 blitz shortly after to creep back to 97-96 with 5:56 remaining.

"It was a high intensity game and we always seem to get the other team's best shot regardless of what their record is," said Curry.

Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) drives against New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose (25) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Porzingis poured in 11 points in the second quarter, including a fade-away jumper with 1.8 seconds left that provided New York with a 50-49 edge at the break. Curry was only 4 of 13 in the first half and 2 of 8 from long distance.

The Knicks shot 63 percent in the second quarter (12 of 19).

The Warriors featured an 11-4 run to retake the lead at 42-38.

With primarily their second unit on the floor, the Knicks used a 15-0 burst to move ahead 34-31 with 6:13 left in the second. Porzingis, the only starter on the court, contributed seven of those points. The Warriors missed 10 shots in the sequence, including four 3-pointers.

"They (reserves) pushed the ball ahead with energy," observed Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek. "They got after it. If you push it, it creates opportunities to make the right plays. The second group kept us in there."

Thompson delivered 14 points in the first quarter, helping the Warriors to a 29-18 lead. Curry was 2 of 8 from the floor, missing his four 3-pointers.

NOTES: Golden State G Stephen Curry moved into 10th place on the 3-point all-time list (1,833). ... The Warriors are in the midst of a five-game road trip, tied for their longest trip of the season. All five games are against Eastern Conference opponents. Golden State travels to Atlanta on Monday and Boston on Wednesday to conclude the swing. ... Golden State scored a season-low 87 points in the loss to Chicago on Thursday, ending a streak of 36 games scoring 100 or more points. ... The Knicks have lost 21 games by 10 points or under. ... F Matt Barnes made his first start as a Warrior since March 4, 2008, at Atlanta. He scored three points in 18 minutes.

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