© Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
The Golden State Warriors faced off against the (insert team name) on (insert date), and entered the game as heavy favorites to win. After playing lackluster first half defense, the Warriors came out of the locker room in the second half with a renewed sense of purpose and put their opponent away with a monster (insert stat) run at the start of the third quarter, beating the (insert team name) (insert score).
Err, sorry. Let’s try that again.
The Golden State Warriors faced off against the New York Knicks on Monday night, and entered the game as heavy favorites to win. After playing lackluster first half defense, the Warriors came out of the locker room in the second half with a renewed sense of purpose and put their opponent away with a monster 16-2 run at the start of the third quarter, beating the Knicks 125-111.
Have you heard that story before? Watching the Warriors this season has been like listening to a broken record skip for five months in a row. Most nights, the Warriors know exactly how much effort they need to give to beat their opponent, and Monday at Madison Square Garden was no different.
New York started the night on fire from the field. New Knick Emmanuel Mudiay, brought to the Big Apple in a trade from the Denver Nuggets earlier in February, hit three long-distance jumpers first quarter after not hitting a triple in his first five games in a knickerbocker uniform.
His 14 points lead the Knicks, who led after the first period 39-37. Keep in mind that the Oklahoma City Thunder only managed to score 80 points against the Warriors on Saturday night.
Things got better for the Warriors in the second quarter, but not by much. Golden State kept attacking Enes Kanter with Kevin Durant (at one point for three consecutive possessions), but hot shooting by the Knicks saw the home team holding a slim one-point lead at half.
Check out the moves by Kevin Durant! Mercy! pic.twitter.com/ZAAUvvnmfx
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 27, 2018
Aaaand that’s when things changed.
The Warriors outscored the Knicks 39-18 in the third quarter of Monday’s contest. It’s the seventh time this season that the Warriors have outscored their opponent by 20 points in the third quarter. Seventh.
Monday’s third quarter explosion improved Golden State’s already gaudy statistics. The Warriors are now plus-329 against their opponents in the third quarter. The NBA’s next best team is the Denver Nuggets, a mere 165 points behind the defending champions.
Jon Stewart's reaction is priceless pic.twitter.com/zXfw29Qn0E
— Brian Witt (@Wittnessed) February 27, 2018
By the time JaVale McGee was hitting turnaround fadeaway corner jumpers, the game was out of reach for the Knicks. Golden State finished the night with a 47-14 record, as well as a 23-7 record away from the friendly confines of Oracle Arena.
All five Warriors starters finished the night in double digits, with Klay Thompson leading the way with 26 points. It was a good performance from Thompson, who had a night to forget two evenings ago against the Oklahoma City Thunder when he went 5-for-16 from the field and 1-for-11 from beyond the arc.
The Warriors find themselves playing arguably their best basketball at the right time of the year, but claiming the top seed in the Western Conference looks like no easy task. They still sit a half game back of the Houston Rockets, who have won 12 straight.
Next up for the Warriors is a trip to the nation’s capital on Wednesday night to play the Washington Wizards. Tipoff at 5:00 p.m. PST.
