So much for the crunch-time narrative at Madison Square Garden.
Clutch performances have been a defining trait of the Knicks this season, fueled by Jalen Brunson, the NBA’s front-runner in crunch-time points.
The NBA defines clutch time as the final five minutes of a game within a five-point margin.
On Tuesday, the Knicks never got there.
The Warriors made sure of it, taking control late and securing a 114-102 victory at MSG that left New York with no opportunity for another late-game comeback.
Without Karl-Anthony Towns (personal reasons), the Knicks and Warriors played an evenly matched contest for three-and-a-half quarters. In fact, New York built a 10-point lead in the second quarter behind hot shooting from Brunson and OG Anunoby.
And then Stephen Curry flipped the switch.
Once Curry got rolling, so did the Warriors’ defense. Golden State suffocated the Knicks down the stretch, turning a close game into a decisive victory.
It wasn’t an explosive night by Curry’s standards, but he delivered when it mattered most — including a late alley-oop to Brandon Podziemski with under 30 seconds left to put an exclamation point on the win.
The four-time champion and two-time MVP finished with 28 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds on 5-of-7 shooting from downtown.
MSG showed its respect.
It’s not every day The Garden crowd cheers for an opposing player, but Curry is the kind of star who commands admiration in every market.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau acknowledged Curry’s greatness before tipoff.
“It’s who he is. He’s done it everywhere. I had the opportunity to coach him with Team USA. When you get to see how he prepares and just the little nuances to his game, it’s not an accident,” Thibodeau said.
“Sometimes when he’s shooting, you don’t realize the subtleties — how he creates separation, how quick his release is, and how well-balanced he always is. He’s a terrific shot-maker.”
Brunson finished with 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting but struggled from deep, going just 1-of-7 from three.
Anunoby led all scorers with 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting, continuing his strong play, but the Knicks couldn’t get enough from the rest of their core. Mikal Bridges added 15 points on 7-of-15 shooting, and Josh Hart had a rare off night, finishing with two points, eight rebounds, and three assists on 1-of-7 shooting.
That inconsistency allowed Golden State to seize control late, outscoring the Knicks 32-19 in the fourth quarter to erase any hope of a comeback.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr praised Brunson’s ability to dominate games and explained the difficulty of defending him.
“Yeah, you have to mix it up. Last year, we came in here and had a good game, got off to a great start, and we defended him pretty well. And then I think three weeks later at Chase Center, he came out and just torched us — had about 38,” Kerr recalled.
“So we know what kind of competitor he is. It’s more about how ready we are to fight and if we’re locked in from the start. We know they’re a hell of a team—40-20, pretty big-time record—so this’ll be our biggest challenge since we’ve gotten Jimmy [Butler] on our team. We’re excited.”
Now, the Knicks embark on a critical five-game West Coast road trip that will see them face the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, the Warriors in a rematch, the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers.
They’ll need more from Brunson and his supporting cast if they want a different result when they see the Warriors again on their home floor.
Having Towns back in the lineup wouldn’t hurt, either.
“[The Knicks with Towns] is different. And then you have to account for Mitchell Robinson being back, too, and see how many minutes he plays,” Kerr said. “We haven’t seen him in a couple years. He’s a game-changer for them with being a lob threat, shot-blocker.”