Knicks vs. Warriors: 3 must-watch matchups

Knicks: Tom Thibodeau’s suffocating defense vs. Steph Curry’s instant offense

This isn’t a slight at Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr, who is a fantastic coach, but more of an emphasis on how big Curry’s impact has been on every game. The Warriors’ expectations for the season plummeted when Klay Thompson suffered a season-ending injury, and Curry has had to put the team on his back.

Curry was actually a late scratch in the Warriors’ last game due to an illness, although it was reported to not be COVID-19 related. He should be ready to suit up in New York, and you know Thibodeau’s Knicks will be overloading defenders in Curry’s direction.

Curry finished the last game against the Knicks with 30 points and 4 assists but shot just 5-14 from three. In his postgame interview, Curry emphasized how the Knicks established the tone early in the game:

"“We mucked the game up by letting them get to the free throw line, letting them set up their defense… and that plays well into what the Knicks like to do, knowing they’re a very physical team.”"

Thibodeau will do everything in his power to make sure Curry is only taking tough shots. If that comes at the expense of other Warriors getting decent looks, so be it. The Knicks want Curry to be exhausted throughout the game and have him put in maximum work on every possession.

The Knicks will have to get creative when they blitz Curry because of his ability to find open players. He’ll see a lot of Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock, two players who love to establish a physical tone early. It’s going to be fun to see what different looks the Knicks will throw at Curry to get him off of his game.