Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) drives past New York Knicks’ Tyson Chandler (6) during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Friday, Feb. 28, 2014, in New York. AP
NEW YORK — This time, Stephen Curry’s outstanding effort at Madison Square Garden didn’t go unrewarded.
The Golden State guard delivered a triple-double of 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists on Friday to lead the Warriors to a 126-103 victory over the reeling New York Knicks.
His performance came almost a year to the day after he exploded for a career-high 54 points and went 11-of-13 from three-point range at the Garden, only for the Warriors to fall 109-105 to the Knicks.
“This is one of those arenas that you understand the history and you look forward to playing here,” Curry said. “We only get to play here once a year so it’s a big game for us. And to get a win this year is bigger than any stats.
“To play well and try to impact the game the way I wanted to, it definitely felt great.”
On Friday, Curry needed little more than three quarters to notch his third triple-double of the season. He departed the contest at the start of the fourth with the visitors holding a comfortable lead.
Golden State’s Klay Thompson also rested in the fourth after scoring 25 points, with Jermaine O’Neal adding 15 in just 20 minutes on the floor to help the Warriors rebound from a 20-point loss in Chicago on Wednesday.
Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for the Knicks, but connected on just seven of 26 from the field as the Knicks tumbled to their fifth straight defeat and their 11th in their past 13 games.
Curry scored six points in a 10-0 scoring run that gave the Warriors a 15-6 lead less than five minutes into the contest, an advantage they would never relinquish.
Golden State led 38-27 after the first period and 73-52 at halftime.
The visitors led by as many as 27 in the third quarter, although the Knicks managed to narrow the gap with a 10-2 run that pulled them within 99-80.
But even with all five of their starters out of the contest in the final period the Warriors kept the lead at 16 points or more.
“We won the game early in the game and it was up to us to maintain that and keep the gas pedal down,” Curry said.