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SAN FRANCISCO – Suddenly, the Knicks’ juggernaut defense is passing the Stephen Curry test.
Coming off a streak of five straight games holding teams under 94 points (a statistic that is more impressive in today’s run-and-gun NBA), the Knicks will try to stay stingy not only against the best team in three-point shooting Western Conference points. , but the best long-range shooter in league history.
Curry, two seasons removed from setting the all-time 3-point record, swept the Knicks less than three weeks ago at MSG, dropping 31 points on eight 3-pointers with 11 rebounds.
He soared in the first quarter while giving the Warriors a 20-4 lead after just seven minutes, and the Knicks never recovered from their crushing loss.
But that was also before the Knicks, boosted by the return of OG Anunoby and a league-wide trend of referees allowing more contact since the All-Star break began applying stops to opponents. With Saturday’s 98-91 victory over the Kingsthey became the first team in six years to allow fewer than 422 points over a five-game span.
And Anunoby, who is 15-2 with the Knicks, understands he will be paired with Curry at some point on Monday. That also assumes Curry, who returned from an ankle injury to beat the Lakers on Saturday, is available.
“I’m sure it will happen during the game, on a crossover or in transition,” Anunoby said of Curry’s defense. “So I’m ready for it.”
What’s it like trying to stop a sniper who’s constantly on the move?
“Just turn your head, the screens are coming from everywhere,” Anunoby said. “It changes from having the ball to losing it. You can never relax with him.”
Lately, the Knicks (40-27) have benefited from their own version of Curry in Jalen Brunson, who is averaging 29.7 points since Jan. 27, fourth-most behind Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo .
Even more impressive, Brunson has been cooking without much scoring help, meaning defenses have attacked the point guard and still can’t stop his production.
He is coming off consecutive games in which he scored 43 percent of the Knicks’ points.
Sacramento coach Mike Brown was left baffled after Brunson dropped 42 points on Saturday, coincidentally drawing comparisons to how he game-plans for Curry.
“Jalen, man, he’s a fantastic player,” Brown said. “I don’t know if, maybe Steph, I don’t know if we attacked anyone as much as we did Jalen tonight. I tried to send him two and he still scored 42 points.”
Brunson and Curry are arguably the two best players in the NBA this season who are under 6-foot-3. Barring a surprise, both will earn All-NBA honors, which would be the 10th time for Curry but the first for Brunson.
No Knicks guard has won All-NBA since Walt Frazier in 1975.
“I think he has a good chance of getting it, I think he deserves it,” Josh Hart said of his teammate. “He has had the consistency and durability that the guys who are in that position have. I think it’s something he deserves. Media, I hope you see that. and games like [against Sacramento] where obviously we have guys in and out of the lineup and he’s been carrying us. I hope they recognize it. He is someone who deserves it, someone who should get it.”
With Brunson and Curry running their respective offenses in comparable fashion this season, the big difference between the Knicks (40-27), fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and the Warriors (35-31), ninth in the Western Conference, is Tom Thibodeau’s defense. .
Their identity, built around physicality and rebounding, has translated in March (and heading into Sunday’s games) in the fewest points allowed, the slowest pace, the most rebounds and the best defensive rating of the NBA.
Against Curry, it will be more difficult to maintain that pace.
“They’re good. There’s no way around it,” Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo said of his former team, the Warriors. “They beat good teams. They took care of the injury problem. They’ve dealt with guys who They come and go, Draymond. [Green] being suspended. “They’ve been through it and they’re still in the race for the playoffs and the play-in.”
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