Brunson scores 34 points to lead Knicks past Warriors

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 34 points and Miles McBride added a career-high 29 to lead the New York Knicks to their fourth straight win, 119-112 over the Golden State Warriors on Monday night.

The Knicks raced out to an 18-4 lead early in the game and never trailed as they earned just their fifth win in their last 19 meetings against the Warriors.

“This team has demonstrated all year there’s a lot of fight, a lot of heart, a lot of toughness and a lot of togetherness to the group,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. "So there’s a belief that we can win. We always talk about our defense, our rebounding, taking care of the ball. I thought we shared the ball extremely well tonight."

Josh Hart had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his fifth triple-double in the past 21 games for New York, while playing all 48 minutes.

“You can’t say enough about the job Josh did as well. Josh’s toughness was huge for us in this game,” Thibodeau said.

Donte DiVincenzo added 18 points for the Knicks.

Stephen Curry scored 27 points to lead Golden State and Trayce Jackson-Davis added 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Warriors fell to 17-18 at home this season.

“I don't know what the answer is,” Curry said about the struggles at home. “If we did, we would be able to get ahead of it.”

Golden State chipped into a deficit that reached 15 points, getting within four early in the fourth quarter but could never get over the hump and lost another home game.

“Just one of those nights where we didn't really get anything going from that starting group,” coach Steve Kerr said. “They've been really good but it just felt like from the very beginning we were swimming upstream. I think it was 15-4 out of the gate and we didn't once have the lead in the game. We made a good comeback, but I just didn't think we were disciplined enough throughout the game to earn the win.”

Brunson made enough shots to keep the Knicks in control and is averaging 40.3 points on the first three games of this Western swing.

The Knicks were without forward OG Anunoby, who flew home after his surgically repaired right elbow flared up. Thibodeau said an MRI came back clean and that Anunoby is day to day. Thibodeau said Anunoby is unlikely to rejoin the team for the final game of a four-game trip on Thursday at Denver.

Anunoby missed 18 games earlier because of the injury before returning last week against Philadelphia. He played three games before the injury flared up again.

Anunoby's absence gave McBride a chance to at his 10th career start and he delivered in a big way.

He played tight defense early against Curry as New York held Golden State scoreless for the first 3:53 of the game — the longest game-opening scoring drought for the Warriors in more than three years.

McBride scored 19 points in the first half — two off his career high — and the Knicks led 62-56 at the break.

“We wanted to add more shooting to the floor," Thibodeau said. "That’s really, you know, why we did it. When they sent the second defender (at Brunson) now we have another 3-point shooter out there. We thought that would make a difference.”

UP NEXT

Knicks: Visit Denver on Thursday night.

Warriors: Host Memphis on Wednesday night.

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