warriors vs knicks preview
Golden State Warriors (35-23) vs. Chicago Bulls (21-37)
Tip-off: Friday, February 28th, 2014 – 8:00 PM ET
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Spread: Golden State Warriors -6.0, meaning the Warriors are favored to win by 6.0 points
TV: ESPN | Radio: KNBR 680 AM
Livetweet: @LetsGoWarriors (by @kingofmyworld19)
Last Game / Streak:
NYK – Loss 108-82 vs MIA in Miami, Lost 4 games in a row
GSW – Loss 103-83 vs CHI in Chicago, Lost 1 game in a row
Probable Starting Lineups:
Warriors:
PG: Stephen Curry (23.8 PPG, 8.8 APG, 4.3 RPG)
SG: Klay Thompson (17.8 PPG, 2.4 APG, 3.1 RPG)
SF: Andre Iguodala (9.5 PPG, 4.4 APG, 4.8 RPG)
PF: David Lee (18.9 PPG, 2.2 APG, 9.8 RPG)
C: Andrew Bogut (8.1 PPG, 1.6 APG, 10.5 RPG)
HEAD COACH: Mark Jackson
Knicks
PG: Raymond Felton (10.2 PPG, 6.0 APG, 2.0 RPG)
SG: Pablo Prigioni (4.0 PPG, 3.6 APG, 2.4 RPG)
SF: JR Smith (12.8 PPG, 3.1 APG, 4.0 RPG)
PF: Carmelo Anthony (28.3 PPG, 3.0 APG, 8.5 RPG)
C: Tyson Chandler (9.1 PPG, 1.1 APG, 9.6 RPG)
HEAD COACH: Mike Woodson
After a disappointing loss to the Bulls on Wednesday, the Warriors look to bounce back against a sinking Knicks team later tonight. The Warriors will step foot into the “Mecca of basketball” for the first time since Stephen Curry unleashed havoc on the basketball world torching the Knicks for 54 points in a 109-105 loss (a look back at Steph’s landmark night from our own Poor Man’s Commish can be found here). The game is being hyped up and is that main attraction on ESPN’s Friday Night broadcast. Under Armour has even created a special shoe (pictured above) in which Curry will wear in memory of the occasion.
Both teams are coming off of tough 20-point losses, but things are a complete 180 from where they were last season. A game in which the Warriors where without Andrew Bogut and a suspended David Lee still found a way to compete with Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks. This year the lowly Knicks are 5.5 games out of the 8th seed in the lowly Eastern Conference and the Warriors are trying to fight their way into contention out West. Curry even made point to point out the difference as CSNBayArea’s Monte Poole made not of in his preview.
Though Curry’s performance was one for the ages, the Warriors lost the game. Another loss, at this point of the season, against this Knicks team, would be fairly devastating — especially given the Warriors’ good health.
“Different situation we were in last year with the lineup we were going to throw out there,” Curry told reporters in New York. “So I’m just ready to get a win and enjoy it even more.”
Amidst all the problems on the court for the Knicks, starting PG Raymond Felton has recently found himself in trouble off the floor with recent firearm possession charges. He is already having the worst season of his career and things won’t be easier for him tonight as he will have to do with Curry looking for vengeance after one of the worst showings of the year in Chicago.
Along with having Lee available for this game, the Warriors will have Andrew Bogut available as well tonight. Last year Tyson Chandler collected 28 rebounds against the Warriors big, Andris Biedrins and Festus Ezeli at MSG last year. David Lee will be excited to play against the team that drafted him as a rookie in 2005. Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle made note of the disappointment Lee suffered last season by having to sit out in his preview.
Lee was notified by the league about two hours before the game that he was suspended because of the previous night’s altercation with Indiana’s Roy Hibbert. So Lee, who had purchased 17 tickets for his friends, was confined to watching the game from the Trump Tower hotel on Fifth Avenue.
“Some of my friends still went to the game to cheer on the Warriors, but some came to the hotel to watch it with me,” said Lee, who played his first five seasons in New York. “It was one of the more frustrating moments of my NBA career. …
The Warriors also didn’t have the reluctancy last season to sick Andre Iguodala’s ferocious defense on his Team USA teammate, Anthony. Assuming those back-taps don’t come into play like they did last year this should be an easy game to allow them to bounce back from the loss in Chicago.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
