SAN FRANCISCO — Who needs OG Anunoby when the Knicks have Miles McBride?
It’s a reactionary statement and probably not sustainable, but on Monday night, in the Knicks’ 119-112 gut-check victory over the Warriors, McBride balled out in the first half and rarely left the court. , it was definitely true that he chased Stephen Curry around.
With Anunoby sidelined indefinitely with a surgically repaired elbow injury, McBride dropped a career-high 29 points in 46 minutes and served as a defensive threat while holding Curry to a pedestrian 27 points.
McBride’s 3-pointer with 3:29 left was one of the biggest shots of the night, perhaps number one, as it sucked the air out of the Warriors’ mini-run and left fans scrambling for an exit.
The guard was another Picasso sidekick for abstract scorer Jalen Brunson, who scored 34 points on 12-of-25 field goals.
The Knicks have won four straight and are closing in on a chance to win the Western Conference road trip Thursday in Denver. Normally, the short-handed Knicks wouldn’t have a chance to play the defending champions in the Mile High City.
But the Knicks (41-27) don’t seem to be settling for expectations. Their underdog identity, encapsulated by McBride’s performance on Monday, has lifted them to fourth place in the East, three games behind second place.
He has been in the position without Julius Randle, who is out with a dislocated shoulder, and starting center Mitchell Robinson, who had a surgically repaired ankle, but also had an “inflamed” elbow and was sent for an MRI. He has maintained this position without OG Anunoby, who returned to Japan. ”
Monday, the Knicks were without any of them, leading wire-to-wire in San Francisco and holding an 18-4 advantage with about 5 1/2 minutes to play. In contrast to last month’s game against the Warriors at MSG, the Knicks fell into an early hole and never recovered.
But coach Tom Thibodeau’s team has been anything but resilient. Curry homered and led from 19 seconds to 48 minutes. Josh Hart played the full 48 minutes and also recorded a triple-double. Isaiah Hartenstein needed just 25 minutes for his double-double.
This night was also a triumphant return for Donte DiVincenzo. It was his first game at Chase Center since leaving the Warriors for the Knicks as a free agent. DiVincenzo broke out of a slump by scoring 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting.
DiVincenzo has nothing but positive feelings and memories about his time in Golden State, with a contract that exceeded what the Warriors could have offered in free agency due to cap restrictions.
DiVincenzo even asked Curry for advice before signing with the Knicks.
“If you were playing with him, wouldn’t you want to play?” DiVincenzo said. “It’s very simple. I had a relationship with him on and off the court. Of course I respect his opinion.”
McBride’s surprise start against Precious Achiuwa relegated DiVincenzo to small forward. To say it went well is an understatement. The guard played the entire first half, knocking down five treys on seven attempts and dropping 19 points. Even more impressive was the way McBride consistently followed Curry, who made 8 of 20 shots and committed two turnovers.
It was McBride’s sixth start of the season, but his first alongside Jalen Brunson. The defensive specialist, who signed a three-year, $13 million extension a few months ago, has significantly improved his efficiency this season, shooting 44 percent from the field on Monday night, including 40 percent from beyond the arc.
He knocked down 6 of 9 treys at Golden State.
DiVincenzo was pushed to small forward. Hart and Hartenstein started in the frontcourt.
