It was as if 11 months of enthusiastic fervor had been unleashed in one night in the Garden.
A lively and loud crowd of 2,000 people applauded the Knicks, annoyed the Warriors and booed the referees on Tuesday night. But in the end, the first Garden crowd of the season – which a team spokesman called a sellout – failed to do much and the Warriors’ talent won.
The Golden State defeated the Knicks in the second half to win a 114-106 victory. Stephen Curry rained 37 points and Draymond Green was across the court in a defensive gem.
Green made the newly formed All-Star Julius Randle fight on the field while accumulating 11 assists, two steals and a block. Randle finished with 25 points from 8 out of 21 shots and was sent off with 17.5 seconds remaining after picking up his second technique.
In fact, the Knicks were frustrated afterwards, with coach Tom Thibodeau and Derrick Rose complaining about the lack of calls made by the Knicks – perhaps causing them to register only 39 percent.
“Sometimes you get calls, sometimes you don’t,” said Thibodeau. “It seemed that there was a lot of contact in our units and we did not receive calls. We have to deal with that, yes. ”
Meanwhile, RJ Barrett had a rough night, hitting 1 of 9 for four points and missing an important free throw at 1:26 from the end.
“We obviously don’t play well,” said Thibodeau. “They played very well. [Curry’s] shooting sets up a lot of your attack and Draymond is excellent in terms of decision making, so it extends you very well. ”
The crowd was more frowning when Barrett was cautioned for a foul on Kelly Oubre with 59.8 seconds remaining.
Thibodeau missed the challenge, making Garden’s faithful mockers even more furious. Losing the challenge also angered Thibodeau.
“I didn’t think there was a lack,” said Thibodeau. “Obviously, they felt differently. That was my point of view, if that was a fault, there were several others that were also fouls that were not scored. It cannot be one-sided and that is what you are looking for. You are just looking for consistency. “
The night looked like it was going to become very special when Randle took the microphone before the “MVP” report, thanked the essential workers and shouted, “Come on, Knicks!” The MVP’s screams would continue whenever he played free throws.
“From the start, you could tell they were excited about the way they were rooting for Ju,” said Rose. “You kind of forget how much energy you get and jump when fans are in the building. We hope things will continue to improve and allow more fans to join. You can tell that the city is lively and waiting to come for some games. ”
But then Randle’s night ended on a bitter note, with his late ejection from barking.
“It was difficult,” said Randle. “I think it was really unnecessary. But I just leave it at that. But I won’t let you dictate what the night will be like. I’m more upset that we lost the game. I feel like I could have done better. ”
During the players’ introductions, the Warriors were booed, just as when one of their players went to the foul line.
“There were fans complaining, which was incredible, ” said Curry. “There is no better feeling – I don’t care if it’s 19,000 or 2,000. You love to silence a crowd on the road. “
After Green bricked two deep shots, fans in the blue seats started chanting “Draaay-mooond”. Everything seemed invigorating after almost two months of a sterile Garden environment with computer generated noise.
The anxious fans, who missed the first 14 games, were scattered across the arena, many with the new Immanuel Quickley or Randle t-shirts. Unfortunately for them, Quickley suffered on a quiet night (1 to 5, three points).
Sitting by the court were 20 socially distant fans, including the ex-star of the giant Justin Tuck.
Team president Leon Rose and his lieutenants were positioned next to the court for games without a crowd, but were put back on Tuesday.
The frustration of the second half – and the referees – hit Rose and senior vice president William Wesley as well. The Warriors started the second half with a 22-6 straight.
After Elfrid Payton was called in for questionable foul after undressing Curry, Rose stamped her feet and Wesley furiously jumped out of his chair, walking in disgust.
The two main Knicks employees were actually caught in the newly charged atmosphere. Meanwhile, Knicks owner James Dolan was not present in his new 100-story seat – probably hidden in a suite.