Knicks defeat Warriors 119–112 in Bay Area

 Against a team whose captains have seen, done, and won it all, the shorthanded Knicks proved too much to clinch a victorious road trip.

Steph Curry has had one of the most successful NBA careers in history. On his route to become a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, he's won four championships, two MVPs, and consistently tortured defences. He's a 10-time All-Star who is largely regarded as the best shooter of all time. But yesterday night, he ran into a brick wall named Miles McBride.

 With OG Anunoby ruled out on Monday morning, McBride was a surprising addition to the starting lineup. 

Previously, amid OG and Julius Randle's absences, Tom Thibodeau started Precious Achiuwa with Josh Hart. But, perhaps prompted by some of the spacing issues that arose the last time the Knicks faced the Warriors, Thibodeau chose to go small with a three-guard lineup of McBride, Jalen Brunson, and Donte DiVincenzo next to a frontcourt of Hart (6-foot-5) and Isaiah Hartenstein (7-foot). It proved to be just what the doctor ordered. 

The Knicks blitzed the Warriors right away, scoring the first eight points and building an 18-4 lead before the hosts realised what hit them. The Knicks never trailed, demonstrating their typical smothering defence even with a small lineup, leaving little room for the Warriors' dangerous shooters while also getting hot from three. No player exemplified this better than McBride. 

We've known Deuce's defensive capabilities for a long time. Last year, in Game 4 of the playoff series against Cleveland, he subjected All-Star Donovan Mitchell to five minutes of hell. Mitchell is one of the NBA's most athletic guards, boasting lightning-fast acceleration, an outstanding vertical jump, and the ability to change directions on a dime. However, he was unable to break free from McBride's chains, forcing him to take more difficult and unpleasant shots. Curry had similar experiences last night. As Thibodeau stated during the game, what makes Curry so dangerous is that even if you stop his first moves with the ball, 

After passing, he moves quickly to look for catch-and-shoot opportunities. Maintaining focus, energy, and constant movement presents a significant challenge for him, but McBride was up to the task, as he has been many times before when his number is called. 

Perhaps the most surprising thing he did last night was on the opposite end. McBride started off strong from three-point range, shooting four threes in the first quarter. 

He finished with 29 points on 9-of-13 shooting while applying consistent defensive pressure on Curry for 46:31. Despite playing almost the entire game, the Marathon Mountaineer showed no signs of exhaustion, hitting a key 3-pointer late in the fourth directly in front of former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green to give the Knicks some breathing room. 

Oh, and Brunson was really good too. The Knicks needed their leader to have a big game on the road against a championship-caliber club, and he did not disappoint. Brunson had 34 points and 7 assists on 12-of-25 shooting, torturing the Warriors in the pick-and-roll all night. Draymond Green praised Brunson on his podcast after the game, highlighting how unlike most players he is when he is blitzed off a pick-and-roll. 

He never gets faster. Brunson patiently allowed the defence to settle, hitting Hartenstein with pocket passes and 4-on-3 possibilities, locating shooters on the weak side, or just attacking switches and out-of-position defenders himself. As Green pointed out, Brunson consistently plays at an All-NBA level. 

Speaking about Hartenstein, he had one of his best performances as a Knick. As terrific as McBride was, defence is still a team sport, especially against an offence as diverse, quick, and dynamic as the Warriors'. Despite McBride's screen traversing prowess, he may not have been as effective without a strong pick-and-roll partner. 

Enter Hartenstein, who recorded 13 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals, a block, and a game-high +26 rating. Despite being visibly limited in minutes, he made the most of his opportunities, blocking penetration and playing aggressively on screens to prevent pull-up 3-pointers (a difficult assignment for a man his size). On offence, he gave Brunson a constant outlet out of traps and dismantled the Warriors with exquisite passes. Hartenstein has been one of the most indispensable Knicks all season, despite injuries, difficult matchups, and at times heavy minutes, and as he enters free agency this summer, it appears he will be well compensated. 

Of course, because he's still Steph Curry, the Knicks couldn't totally shut down the Warriors. Their stretch of keeping opponents under 100 points ended, and Curry finished with 27 points and five assists on 8-of-20 shooting. As champions do, the Warriors frequently got up off the mat, closing the gap to four late in the game and never allowing the Knicks to get more than 12-14 points ahead of them. To win, the Knicks would need more than just great execution; they'd also need the heart of a champion. 

Josh Hart added another triple-double to his recent run, finishing with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. In typical Hart manner, he hit the rebound and assist thresholds first, before securing the final two points with a late, clutch, difficult, muscular finish against the much larger Jonathan Kuminga. Hart struggled to shoot throughout the game, missing all six 3-point attempts, but in ways reminiscent of the man he faced, he found a way to influence almost every facet of the game. 

With Hart in the area, 50-50 balls become 80-20; despite being expected to play power forward undersized, his strength, quickness, and pure willpower enabled him to defend all types of players and actions at a high level despite only playing 48 minutes. He is the classic glue guy, providing anything the Knicks require at any time. What a fantastic complement to this team and its identity. 

The Warriors would never go away, but as Curry later noted, the Knicks responded every time the home team made a charge, with McBride and Hartenstein scoring thunderous slam dunks to cap a 119-112 victory. The Knicks conclude their road trip against Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, following two days of relaxation. Before this trip, many Knicks supporters would have been content with a 2-2 tie, even with a healthy Anunoby. Now they're guaranteed a winning trip and have a chance to finish undefeated against the defending champions, whom they upset by 38 points six weeks ago despite Hartenstein's absence.