Knicks' Golden Opportunity Vanishes Vs. Warriors

The New York Knicks fell behind early in San Francisco on Friday and never recovered against the Golden State Warriors.

The New York Knicks have made the most of a Western Conference trip through strong finishes. In a case of macabre irony for the tourists, a slow start doomed them against the defending NBA champions on Friday night.

While held to only 24 points after dropping 50 in his prior contest, Steph Curry posted a near triple-double (adding 10 assists and six rebounds) to pace the Golden State Warriors to a 111-101 victory over the Knicks at Chase Center in San Francisco. 

Denied their third straight victory, the Knicks (8-8) scored the first two points of the game before Golden State embarked on a run that gave them an eternal lead. Klay Thompson had 11 in the opening frame alone, setting the stage for a 35-19 advantage. Facing the team that continues to spearhead a shooting revolution from outside, the Knicks struggled to counter the Warriors' outside barrage, shooting only 27 percent from deep. 

Friday's game wound up being costly for the Knicks in more ways than one: starting shooting Cam Reddish left the game with a sore groin in the second half and did not return. 

The Knicks missed their first 10 triples but got back on track by hitting 6-of-8 in the second. Of that tally, the last two came from leading scorer Julius Randle, who accounted for all but two points of an 11-1 Knicks run over the final two minutes of the half. T

But the Knicks were unable to fully contain Curry after holding him to only eight points in the opening frame. Every time the Knicks came within the striking distance, getting as close as eight, the Warriors (7-9) would sink another big shot, often from deep. New York's shot selection also left much to be desired, as the Knicks shot only 35 percent from the field. 

Randle had 20 points and seven rebounds in defeat, serving as a silver lining alongside reserve Jericho Sims, who earned his second double-double over the last three games (10 points, 10 rebounds). Though Curry's accuracy wasn't at its usual success rate (5-of-13), he was one of four Warriors to hit at least three triples, joining Thompson (4-of-10), Andrew Wiggins, and Jordan Poole (both 3-of-8). 

New York and Golden State will do battle at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 20. 

The penultimate game of the Knicks' five-game road trip lands on Sunday afternoon when they battle the Phoenix Suns (3:30 p.m. ET, MSG). 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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