Golden State Warriors go off in Q3 to beat Knicks

Golden State Warriors, (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Golden State Warriors, (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

The Golden State Warriors beat the New York Knicks 125-111 at Madison Square Garden on Monday.

The reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors got off to a rather slow start Monday night at Madison Square Garden, waking up later in the second half to finish out their regular season series with the New York Knicks 125-111.

Per usual, the Dubs initially looked a bit unengaged playing against yet another lottery-bound team, trailing the Knicks by a couple points by the end of the first quarter. Golden State continued to look a bit sloppy defensively in the second, continuing to trade baskets going into halftime.

Behind by a single point, the Warriors finally awakened from their first half nap, scoring 38 points in the third quarter while limiting the Knicks to just 18. Holding a 102-82 lead going into the final 12 minutes, the Warriors successfully closed out the game with a 23-29 fourth quarter.

The Dubs push their win streak to three consecutive games, improving their regular season record to 47-14. They remain half a game behind the Houston Rockets for the first seed in the Western Conference.

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Golden State will resume their three-game road trip on Wednesday when they visit the Capital One Arena to face the Washington Wizards. Following a visit to the Philips Arena to face the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, the Warriors will head back to Oracle Arena to host the Brooklyn Nets next Tuesday.

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Klay Thompson paced the Dubs on Monday against the Knicks, posting 26 points, four rebounds, five assists and one steal in 33 minutes. He shot 9-of-13 from the field, 4-of-6 from behind the arc and 4-of-4 from the free throw line.

Kevin Durant scored 22 points, adding in nine rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. He was a team-high +27 in 28 minutes, shooting 6-of-10 from the field, 2-of-3 from long range and 8-of-8 from the charity stipe.

Stephen Curry dropped in 21 points, five rebounds and five assists in 30 minutes, shooting 8-of-16 from the field, 4-of-9 from behind the arc and a perfect 1-of-1 from the free throw line.

Draymond Green tallied 10 points, three rebounds, six assists, one steal and two blocks, while JaVale McGee contributed 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and one block in his third consecutive start.

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David West added 11 points, four rebounds, two assists in 14 minutes off the bench.