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Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors is guarded by Miles McBride #2 of the New York Knicks.
THE New York Knicks“Wire to wire victory 119-112 over the Warriors of the Golden State will go down as Miles McBride game.
“McBride came loose – he had 11 in the first five or six minutes,” Warriors superstar Stephen Curry told reporters after the game.
McBride, the former second-round pick, just earned his 10th career start after OG Anunoby returned to New York after his surgically repaired right elbow became inflamed and responded to the challenge.
Best known for his defense, McBride’s offense continued to hum all night as he outscored Curry, 29-27, and knocked down a career-high six 3-pointers.
” We kept Jalen [Brunson] quite calm at first but [Isaiah] Hartenstein I had three floaters or finishes in the paint and they were kind of spacing us out,” Curry told reporters when asked to detail the Knicks’ 18-4 start. “They played a starting lineup that gave Hartenstein the ability to roll. He and Brunson played pick and roll, then when McBride hit shots, they had all options open and they made them. We never had any shutdowns that led to transition.
McBride also hit the dagger 3 late in the fourth quarter as the Warriors tried to run. He played all but 1:29 in almost no relief work for the short-handed Knicks, who were missing three starters.
Miles McBride set the tone
McBride’s defense set the tone for the Knicks’ victory by holding Curry scoreless in the first quarter. Curry didn’t score his first basket until there was 5:23 left in the second quarter.
McBride held the greatest shooter in NBA history with 4 of 13 shooting and 2 turnovers on 51 possessions as a primary defender. Curry finished 8 of 20 from the field and 4 of 13 from 3-point range.
McBride revealed he watched a lot of Curry film to prepare for the toughest defensive assignment of his young career.
“I just understand the routes he takes. Obviously, he doesn’t stop moving. He is the greatest shooter in history. So, I’m just trying to do my best and continually fight through screens and be physical and do everything I can to disrupt him.
The Growth of Miles McBride
Long buried on the Knicks bench, McBride finally cracked Tom Thibodeau’s regular rotation when the Knicks were shipped out. Emmanuel Quickley And RJ Barrett in the Anunoby trade.
Shortly after the trade, the Knicks locked McBride up three-year extension worth $13 millionwhich is now starting to look like a new deal for Leon Rose’s front office.
Since then, McBride has averaged 9.4 points, 1.8 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 21.1 minutes on 41.6% 3-point shooting. All his hard work in the G League is starting to pay off for the former West Virginia star.
He was ready when Thibodeau asked him to leave for Anunoby.
“Coach [Thibodeau] came to me. He said he had a lot of confidence in me and he just wanted me to go out there and play my game,” McBride told Mike Breen and Monica McNutt in the network’s post-game interview MSG.
What fueled his turnaround?
” Glory to God ! I just believe in myself. Keep shooting with confidence and trusting my work,” McBride said.
The Knicks maintained their unbeaten record on the West Coast trip and extended their winning streak to four despite Anunoby returning Julius Randle (shoulder) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle) to the injury bay.
McBride’s career game also kept the Knicks (41-27) in fourth place in the East, just two games behind the third-place Cleveland Cavaliers (43-25) and three games behind the second-place Milwaukee Bucks (44 -24).
“Honestly, it starts at the top,” McBride said of the team’s ability to thrive through adversity. “Coach Thibs has great confidence in all his guys. He believes anyone in the room can step up and play well.
Alder Almo is a basketball reporter who covers the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors for Heavy. He has over 15 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is originally from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. Learn more about Alder Almo
