Warriors at Knicks
The Golden State Warriors have spent most of the season unchallenged atop the Western Conference but are staring down a tough stretch as they try to maintain their lofty position. The Warriors will play the finale of a stretch of four games in five nights and the second in a string of 10 of 11 on the road when they visit the New York Knicks on Saturday. The Knicks have dropped back-to-back games after falling at Brooklyn on Friday.
Golden State began its heavy road schedule at Atlanta on Friday and fell short in a battle of the two best teams in the NBA, suffering a 124-116 loss despite a combined 55 points from Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. The Knicks had a four-game home winning streak come to an end with a loss to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday and will need to find some more offense if they expect to hang with the Warriors. New York is averaging 88.3 points in its last six games, while Golden State has gone for at least 100 in an NBA-best 20 straight contests.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (Golden State), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (39-9): Golden State owns the best defensive field-goal percentage in the NBA but struggled to defend the perimeter against the Hawks while allowing a season-high 15 3-pointers. The loss marked the second time in as many games and the fifth in the last seven that the Warriors surrendered at least 110 points. Curry, who followed up a 51-point outburst against Dallas on Wednesday with 26 in Atlanta, posted a triple-double in a win at New York last season and put up a career-high 54 while going 11-of-13 from 3-point range in the 2012-13 trip to Madison Square Garden.
ABOUT THE KNICKS (10-40): Carmelo Anthony (knee) played in both ends of New York’s last set of back-to-back games but could reportedly sit out Saturday after a 6-of-23 shooting effort against the Nets on Friday. The All-Star played 37 minutes in Brooklyn and has gone for 33 or more in each of the Knicks’ last three contests. Amar’e Stoudemire (ankle) also could miss the Warriors after logging 18 minutes off the bench Friday in his return from a four-game absence.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Curry has hit at least one 3-pointer in 58 straight road games – the longest active streak in the NBA.
2. Golden State F Draymond Green grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds Friday.
3. New York G Pablo Prigioni (hip) and F Travis Wear (hip) are both questionable for Saturday.