warriors vs knicks preview: (Photo: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports)
Golden State Warriors (44-27) vs. New York Knicks (43-28)
Tip-off: Sunday, March 30th, 2014 – 6:00 PM PST
Location: Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
Spread: Golden State (-6.5) meaning Warriors are 6.5-point favorites
TV: CSN Bay Area | Radio: KNBR 1050 AM
Livetweet: @LetsGoWarriors (by @goldenstatenz)
Last Game / Streak:
NYK – lost 112-88 vs PHX at Phoenix, Lost 1 straight, 3 of the last 4
GSW – Won 100-93 vs MEM in Oakland, Won 1 straight game
Last Meeting Between The Teams:
Warriors Won 123-106 on 2/28/2013 in New York. The Warriors put out an impressive win as the #SplashBrothers combined for 52 points. Curry led the way with a triple-double: 27 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and 1 block.
Probable Starting Lineups:
Warriors:
PG: Stephen Curry (23.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 8.6 APG)
SG: Klay Thompson (18.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.2 APG)
SF: Andre Iguodala (9.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.2 APG)
PF: Marreese Speights (5.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 0.3 APG)
C: Jermaine O’Neal (7.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 0.4 APG)
HEAD COACH: Mark Jackson (114-105)
Knicks:
PG: Ray Felton (9.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 5.1 APG)
SG: Iman Shumpert (6.6PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.5 APG)
SF: Carmelo Anthony (28.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.8 APG)
PF: Amare Stoudemire (11.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.0 APG)
C: Tyson Chandler (9.1 PPG, 10.1RPG, 1.3 APG)
HEAD COACH: Mike Woodson (72-34)
David Lee is out with a hamstring strain and Andrew Bogut is out 7-10 days (injury report). It will be up to the rest of the Warriors to step up in their absence.
After winning a hard-fought game against a hungry Memphis Grizzlies team, the Warriors are looking to keep the momentum going facing a under-.500 team.
The Warriors will look to get off to an early lead and ride the home crowd’s energy. As we all know, Curry had the best game of his career against the Knicks, where he scored a whopping 54 points.
If Curry can get his team going, it should be an easy night for the Dubs. The Warriors can ill-afford to lose a game like this with the playoffs around the corner. Ray Felton is a sub-par defender, and Curry notched a triple-double the last time they played.
However, Warriors head coach Jackson pointed out that Anthony is a “home run hitter” and a force to be reckoned with.
“A guy that makes everyone around him better,” Jackson said, “People look at it and say, ‘Well, he’s not averaging ten assists,’ but his presence alone on the offensive end elevates everybody else’s play and makes everybody else a weapon.”
New York coach Woodson said the Knicks have to stop the Warriors dribble-drive penetration:
Stephen Curry's last five games vs. the Knicks: 32.2 points, 7.4 assists, 6.8 rebounds, 63.4% from 3, one triple-double, one 54-point game
— GSWStats (@gswstats) March 30, 2014
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Rusty Simmons of the SF Gate:
The Warriors might very well have to play Sunday’s game against win-hungry New York without their starting power forward and center, but they know this is not the time of the season to start seeking sympathy.
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With 10 games remaining in their regular season, the Warriors sit a game back of fifth-place Portland, 1 1/2 games ahead of seventh-place Phoenix and 2 1/2 games away from missing the playoffs altogether. None of the teams competing for the Western Conference’s final four postseason berths are feeling sorry for the Warriors, so they aren’t either.
Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com:
New York has been outscored at both the point guard and shooting guard positions on a per-game basis this season.
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On Friday, the Suns’ backcourt of Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe torched the Knicks for a combined 48 points. Dragic, guarded primarily by Raymond Felton, went off for 32.
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The Warriors, by the way, have taken 10 of the last 11 home games against the Knicks.
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