It wasn't just the Golden State Warriors who recorded back-to-back wins to tip off the new year on Saturday night, with their G League affiliate in Santa Cruz also recording a victory at Wells Fargo Arena in Iowa.
After Santa Cruz began their January period with a 110-96 win over the Sioux Falls Skyforce on Friday, they backed it up with a high-scoring 136-130 victory against the Iowa Wolves.
Kevin Knox II and Quinten Post are raring for a roster opportunity
The Warriors were led by a pair of huge performances from Kevin Knox and Quinten Post, with the pair combining for 68 points in the six-point win. The former ninth overall pick had a career-high 39 points, going a scorching 6-of-7 from 3-point range while finishing an incredibly efficient 14-of-17 from the floor overall.
Knox also added six rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in 35 minutes, but Post's own career performance may be even more exciting for Golden State fans who have high hopes for the seven-foot big man.
The 52nd overall pick had 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the floor, adding 15 rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes. It comes after Post had 20 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two blocks 24 hours earlier, with the 24-year-old showing some positive signs after recording his first NBA basket earlier in the week.
Kevin Knox was RED-HOT in the first-half! 🔥
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) January 5, 2025
The NBA veteran scored 20 points on 70% shooting to give the @GLeagueWarriors a 72-67 lead at halftime. pic.twitter.com/Hpjosp6f9p
Knox and Post weren't the only two players to impress on Saturday, with point guard Yuri Collins taking advantage of the recent departure of Reece Beekman with 17 points and 16 assists in 35 minutes.
It's an incredibly important time for Santa Cruz, not only for their own season but potential opportunities with Golden State over the next month or so. The Warriors were strongly linked to Chicago Bulls Center Nikola Vucevic in a report from The Athletic on Saturday, with any trade for the 2x All-Star likely to include potentially three players departing the franchise.
If such a scenario presents itself prior to the February 6 trade deadline, Golden State could be forced to fill out the remainder of their roster with one or two players. That's where Knox could be rewarded for his G League form with another NBA opportunity, while Post could easily have his two-way deal converted to a standard contract.
Santa Cruz will be looking for their fifth-straight win when they meet the Wolves again at the same venue on Tuesday.