warriors game day: sights & sounds from #warriorsground – golden state playing down to the new york knicks proves costly in tight playoff race (Photo: @iconic_lab Instagram account)
ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — Pre-game activities got off to an auspicious start as Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut would be out 7-10 days due to a pelvic contusion caused by a knee to the groin by Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies in Friday night’s game. Sam Amick of USA Today quickly confirmed this.
PRE-GAME
With our media credential, we offered #DubNation a peek inside the Warriors’ press conference room as Vice President of PR, Raymond Ridder, officially announced Bogut as day-to-day with a pelvic/groin contusion. The MRI earlier in the afternoon revealed no structural damage.
At the New York Knicks pre-game press conference, head coach Mike Woodson said they’ll have to defend off the dribble gainst the Warriors, something they did not do well in their latest loss against Goran Dragic and the Phoenix Suns. Despite being a team in 9th place, fighting for their playoff lives in a weak Eastern Conference, the New York media was very well-represented, with the most coverage from an opposing team we have seen in a long time.
Not only that, but Walt “Clyde” Frazier, personality extraordinaire for the Knicks’ television broadcast, was wearing a black outfit with silver-pinstriped pants and a silver tie, perhaps paying homage to the Oakland Raiders franchise that plays just a hop, skip, and a jump away from #Roaracle (or perhaps it was just coincidence).
Just got to #Roaracle where Clyde Frazier is dressed like an Oakland #Raiders fan. #silverandblack I'll be reporting at @LetsGoWarriors…
— Poor Man's Commish (@poormanscommish) March 30, 2014
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IN-GAME
Early on, the Warriors got out to a strong start. With 2:19 to go in the opening frame, the Warriors led 27-19 as Stephen Curry and KlayThompson each had 8 points. The Warriors held serve at the end of one, 32-22.
Being in Daylight Savings Time, the 6:00PM tipoff offered a ray of light shining through Oracle’s windows and onto the court. But it was darkness for the Dubs’ bench play as the lead dwindled to 38-34 with 5:29 remaining in the second quarter. The starters were hockey-subbed in, but some atrocious play, the end of which saw Harrison Barnes trip on a dribble-drive that might have been a foul on the Knicks, followed by a New York bucket, followed by a stolen inbounds pass from Andre Iguodala, leading to a three-pointer, put the Warriors in an astounding 12-point deficit at the half, 56-44.
Alas, here was a highlight or two from the first half.
In a tell-tale sign of just how anemic the Warrior’s offense had become, with 2:19 to go in the third quarter, the Knicks were up 68-59, while Curry was up to 17 points but with just 1 assist. Meanwhile, three Knicks were in double-figures.
But with 9:58 to play, two Curry threes and Green’s spectacular play on defense brought the Warriors within two, 74-72.
With 5:49 to go, it was Knicks 78, Warriors 74. The Dubs just couldn’t get over the hump. Curry had tallied 28 points. Iguodala had done a commendable job on defense against Anthony, who only had 15 points.
With 1:40 to go, it was Knicks 83, Warriors 81 in yet another nailbiter against a team Golden State should have put away early.
The Warriors managed to get a stop, forcing a shotclock violation on the Knicks, who now led 87-84 with just five ticks on the clock remaining. However, Curry, who finished with 32 points but just 1 assist, got caught in the air on a deep three with Raymond Felton draped all over him and attempted to pass to Green, but the pass was muffed. Thompson was called for a clear-path foul and the Knicks won 89-84. #Knicks 89, #Warriors 84, FINAL. Clearly, #MCHammeris a bad luck charm (on his birthday no less!).
POST-GAME
At the post-game press conference, Coach Jackson was asked about the Warriors deveoloping a reputation of playing down to their competition.
While Jackson acknowledged that this was yet another loss against a team they should have beaten, he also pointed out that the Phoenix Suns had just lost to the lowly Los Angeles Lakers, while the Grizzlies had also faltered against the Portland Trail Blazers.
“The only team that has handled their business consistently throughout the course of the season is the Spurs,” Jackson said.
Jackson as well as Green pointed to the 12-0 run in the 2nd quarter.
“That last run at the end of the 2nd quarter hurt us,” Green said.
Thompson wore the frustration on his face, but said, “That one was a tough one to swallow…We just gotta goto Dallas with our heads held high and a sense of urgency.”
Curry had some sage advice for #DubNation.
“We always say, don’t get too down on nights like this when you still have ten games to play to figure it out,” Curry said, “We didn’t get too high after the game on Friday.”
With just two games separating the 6th-place Warriors and 9th-place Grizzlies, and with Bogut out for at least another week and Lee unable to run with the strained right hamstring, Golden State travels to face the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday and the San Antonio Spurs on a back-to-back on Wednesday before returning home to battle the Sacramento Kings on Friday.
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