OAKLAND — Monta Ellis shook off a terrible first half to finish with 22 points and eight assists, Brandon Rush added 19 points off the bench and the Golden State Warriors beat the New York Knicks 92-78 on Wednesday night.

Playing without injured guard Stephen Curry, the Warriors led by as much as 19 before cruising to their second straight impressive win over an Eastern Conference team. Two nights earlier Golden State (2-1) beat the Chicago Bulls 99-91.

Ish Smith had 11 points, four assists and six rebounds while starting in place of Curry, who sat out the game after injuring his surgically repaired ankle against Chicago.

Amare Stoudemire finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds for New York while Carmelo Anthony had 13 points.

Ellis went just 4 of 15 in the first half but scored eight straight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, midway through the fourth quarter when Golden State pulled away.

The Warriors did it once again behind their defense, which stymied Stoudemire and Anthony most of the night. The two combined to go just 8 of 27 and were only 13 for 19 on free throws.

No one else could pick up the scoring slack for the Knicks, who were also outrebounded 47-31 by the smaller but quicker Warriors.

Landry Fields had 13 of his 14 points in the first half. Bill Walker also scored 14 for the Knicks, who failed in their bid to start the season with consecutive victories for the first time since 1999.

Former Knick David Lee scored 13 points for Golden State (2-1).

This was the first stop on a three-game trip to the West Coast for New York.

The Knicks, who beat the Celtics on Christmas Day to kick off the truncated NBA schedule after losing all eight games to Boston in 2010, play the Lakers in Los Angeles on Thursday. They return to Northern California to face the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.

The Warriors played without Curry, who landed awkwardly on his surgically repaired right ankle in the fourth quarter of Monday’s win over Chicago.

It was the second time in seven days that Curry injured the ankle. He also missed eight games last season because of lingering ankle problems.

“It was the best thing to give it some time to heal,” Warriors coach Mark Jackson said before the game. “Bottom line is he got hurt landing on somebody and we are going to give it some time to heal.”

Smith started in place of Curry and scored seven of Golden State’s first 10 points. He finished 5 of 13 from the floor.

Anthony and Stoudemire couldn’t get much of anything to fall. The duo repeatedly settled for long jumpers, a trend that continued deep into the fourth quarter.

Even with their two stars off to a slow start, the Knicks took a 43-37 lead into the half.

Golden State closed the gap with a 15-5 run early in the second half, tied the game at 64 when Rush made a 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds remaining in the third quarter, then took control with 20-6 burst in the fourth.

The Warriors opened a 19-point lead with 4:09 left when the Knicks frustrations began to show. Tyson Chandler tossed Lee to the ground and was whistled for a technical foul, bringing the sold-out crowd at Oracle Arena to its feet.

Notes: The Warriors have agreed to terms with 7-foot-1 free agent center Kyrylo Fesenko on a one-year contract pending Fesenko passing a physical. Fesenko, who spent the past four seasons mostly as a backup with the Utah Jazz, was in Golden State’s locker room before the game but neither nor the Warriors can talk about the deal until it is complete. … The Warriors have sold out the first three games on this four-game homestand. … Former Golden State guard Jeremy Lin, who signed with the Knicks on Tuesday, entered the game late in the fourth quarter and missed his only shot attempt.

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OAKLAND, Calif. —
Warriors 92, Knicks 78

Mark Jackson didn’t see much significance in coaching Golden State to a win against his former team.

It was the way the Warriors beat the New York Knicks that meant the most to Jackson — doing it with a defensive focus that hasn’t been seen from this franchise on a consistent basis in more than a decade.

Then again, that’s been Jackson’s message to his players ever since he was hired in June.

“This is going to be strange to hear: We’re a defensive team,” Jackson said following Golden State’s 92-78 victory Wednesday night. “It’s a shocker. Great players are going to come in and have great nights, but our job is make it tough. We had a bad first half offensively, but the defense gave us a chance to win a ballgame.”

Golden State definitely made it tough on New York’s All-Star duo of Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, who combined to go just 8 of 27 from the floor after teaming for 58 points in the Knicks’ Christmas Day win over the Boston Celtics.

Stoudemire finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Anthony had 13 points.

“The whole game our offense was awful,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We weren’t in synch, we didn’t make shots, we turned the ball over and we gave them layups. Whatever kind of mistakes you can make, we made. It was awful.”

Monta Ellis shook off a terrible first half to finish with 22 points and eight assists, while Brandon Rush added 19 points off the bench for Golden State (2-1).

Playing without injured guard Stephen Curry, the Warriors led by as much as 19 before cruising to their second straight impressive win over an Eastern Conference team. Two nights earlier they beat the Chicago Bulls 99-91.

Ish Smith had 11 points, four assists and six rebounds while starting in place of Curry, who sat out the game after injuring his surgically repaired ankle against Chicago.

Ellis went just 4 of 15 in the first half but scored eight straight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, midway through the fourth quarter when Golden State pulled away.

But it was the Warriors’ defense that made the biggest difference — a refreshing change considering the team’s recent history of shunning that part of the game.

“That’s our focus, defense,” Ellis said. “Just going out there getting the job done. That’s what’s keeping us in the game against great teams like this. Our defense kept us in the game and the offense won the game for us.”

No one else could pick up the scoring slack for the Knicks, who were also outrebounded 47-31 by the smaller but quicker Warriors.

Landry Fields had 13 of his 14 points in the first half. Bill Walker also scored 14 for the Knicks, who failed in their bid to start the season with consecutive victories for the first time since 1999.

Former Knick David Lee scored 13 points for Golden State (2-1).

This was the first stop on a three-game trip to the West Coast for New York.

The Knicks, who beat the Celtics on Christmas Day to kick off the truncated NBA schedule after losing all eight games to Boston in 2010, play the Lakers in Los Angeles on Thursday. They return to Northern California to face the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.

The Warriors played without Curry, who landed awkwardly on his surgically repaired right ankle in the fourth quarter of Monday’s win over Chicago.

It was the second time in seven days that Curry injured the ankle. He also missed eight games last season because of lingering ankle problems.

“It was the best thing to give it some time to heal,” Jackson said before the game. “Bottom line is he got hurt landing on somebody and we are going to give it some time to heal.” Smith started in place of Curry and scored seven of Golden State’s first 10 points. He finished 5 of 13 from the floor.

Anthony and Stoudemire couldn’t get much of anything to fall. The duo repeatedly settled for long jumpers, a trend that continued deep into the fourth quarter.

Even with their two stars off to a slow start, the Knicks took a 43-37 lead into the half.

Golden State closed the gap with a 15-5 run early in the second half, tied the game at 64 when Rush made a 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds remaining in the third quarter, then took control with 20-6 burst in the fourth.

The Warriors opened a 19-point lead with 4:09 left when the Knicks frustrations began to show. Tyson Chandler tossed Lee to the ground and was whistled for a technical foul, bringing the sold-out crowd at Oracle Arena to its feet.

“I’m not making any excuses, but we’re a young team that’s coming together and we have to build,” said Chandler, who was held to two points and three rebounds. “Unfortunately, we’re learning things on the fly.”

Notes: The Warriors have agreed to terms with 7-foot-1 free agent center Kyrylo Fesenko on a one-year contract pending Fesenko passing a physical. Fesenko, who spent the past four seasons mostly as a backup with the Utah Jazz, was in Golden State’s locker room before the game but neither nor the Warriors can talk about the deal until it is complete. … The Warriors have sold out the first three games on this four-game homestand. … Former Golden State guard Jeremy Lin, who signed with the Knicks on Tuesday, entered the game late in the fourth quarter and missed his only shot attempt.

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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OAKLAND, Calif. — Mark Jackson didn’t see much significance in coaching the Golden State Warriors to a win against his former team.

It was the way they beat the Knicks that meant the most to Jackson — doing it with a defensive focus that hasn’t been seen from this franchise on a consistent basis in more than a decade.

Then again, that’s been Jackson’s message to his players ever since he was hired in June.

“This is going to be strange to hear: We’re a defensive team,” Jackson said following Golden State’s 92-78 victory tonight. “It’s a shocker. Great players are going to come in and have great nights, but our job is make it tough. We had a bad first half offensively, but the defense gave us a chance to win a ballgame.”

Golden State definitely made it tough on New York’s All-Star duo of Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, who combined to go just 8 of 27 from the floor after teaming for 58 points in the Knicks’ Christmas Day win over the Boston Celtics.

Stoudemire finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Anthony had 13 points.

“The whole game our offense was awful,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We weren’t in synch, we didn’t make shots, we turned the ball over and we gave them layups. Whatever kind of mistakes you can make, we made. It was awful.”

Monta Ellis shook off a terrible first half to finish with 22 points and eight assists, while Brandon Rush added 19 points off the bench for Golden State (2-1).

Playing without injured guard Stephen Curry, the Warriors led by as much as 19 before cruising to their second straight impressive win over an Eastern Conference team. Two nights earlier they beat the Chicago Bulls 99-91.

Ish Smith had 11 points, four assists and six rebounds while starting in place of Curry, who sat out the game after injuring his surgically repaired ankle against Chicago.

Ellis went just 4 of 15 in the first half but scored eight straight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, midway through the fourth quarter when Golden State pulled away.

But it was the Warriors’ defense that made the biggest difference — a refreshing change considering the team’s recent history of shunning that part of the game.

“That’s our focus, defense,” Ellis said. “Just going out there getting the job done. That’s what’s keeping us in the game against great teams like this. Our defense kept us in the game and the offense won the game for us.”

No one else could pick up the scoring slack for the Knicks, who were also outrebounded 47-31 by the smaller but quicker Warriors.

Landry Fields had 13 of his 14 points in the first half. Bill Walker also scored 14 for the Knicks, who failed in their bid to start the season with consecutive victories for the first time since 1999.

Former Knick David Lee scored 13 points for Golden State (2-1).

This was the first stop on a three-game trip to the West Coast for New York.

The Knicks, who beat the Celtics on Christmas Day to kick off the truncated NBA schedule after losing all eight games to Boston in 2010, play the Lakers in Los Angeles on Thursday. They return to Northern California to face the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.

The Warriors played without Curry, who landed awkwardly on his surgically repaired right ankle in the fourth quarter of Monday’s win over Chicago.

It was the second time in seven days that Curry injured the ankle. He also missed eight games last season because of lingering ankle problems.

“It was the best thing to give it some time to heal,” Jackson said before the game. “Bottom line is he got hurt landing on somebody and we are going to give it some time to heal.”

Smith started in place of Curry and scored seven of Golden State’s first 10 points. He finished 5 of 13 from the floor.

Anthony and Stoudemire couldn’t get much of anything to fall. The duo repeatedly settled for long jumpers, a trend that continued deep into the fourth quarter.

Even with their two stars off to a slow start, the Knicks took a 43-37 lead into the half.

Golden State closed the gap with a 15-5 run early in the second half, tied the game at 64 when Rush made a 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds remaining in the third quarter, then took control with 20-6 burst in the fourth.

The Warriors opened a 19-point lead with 4:09 left when the Knicks frustrations began to show. Tyson Chandler tossed Lee to the ground and was whistled for a technical foul, bringing the sold-out crowd at Oracle Arena to its feet.

“I’m not making any excuses, but we’re a young team that’s coming together and we have to build,” said Chandler, who was held to two points and three rebounds. “Unfortunately, we’re learning things on the fly.”

NOTE: Former Golden State guard Jeremy Lin, who signed with the Knicks on Tuesday, entered the game late in the fourth quarter and missed his only shot attempt.

BOX SCORE

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The New York Knicks head out on the road to take on the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night (Dec. 28). It’s a tough game because of the depth and youth that the Warriors have on their side, but a good aspect of this match-up is that Stephen Curry may miss the game with an injury.

Curry is one of the best young guards in the NBA, but he is down with an injured ankle that he suffered in the preseason and then re-aggravated. Curry averaged 18.6 points and 5.8 assists as the point guard for the Warriors last season and was looking to improve upon those numbers. He played in the first two games for the Warriors this season, averaging 12.5 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 steals, so having him out of the game really helps New York. There is a chance he feels better by game time, but even if he plays, Curry will have limited mobility.

For the Knicks, this is a great chance to prove something to the rest of the league. Having a road trip to the West Coast this early in the season is a tough endeavor, with games against Golden State Wednesday (Dec. 28), the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday (Dec. 29) and the Sacramento Kings on Saturday (Dec. 31). Hopefully it’s a test that the team can pass, and that by the end of December the Knicks are sitting in first place with a 4-0 record.

The Knicks are also still trying to figure things out with a host of new players this season. Guard Mike Bibby is back in the lineup and should provide some minutes off the bench and that is extremely important with Iman Shumpert out due to an injury he suffered in the first game.

The starters for the Knicks are point guard Toney Douglas, shooting guard Landry Fields, small forward Carmelo Anthony, power forward Amare Stoudemire and center Tyson Chandler. For the Warriors, the starters could shift if Curry is unable to play. The most likely scenario is that Monta Ellis shifts to point guard and Brandon Rush joins the starting lineup as the shooting guard. Starting at small forward is Dorell Wright, at power forward is David Lee and at center is Andris Biedrins.

The Warriors are averaging 92.5 points per game while giving up 98 per game through the first two opponents. The team has posted a 1-1 record and is grabbing 42 rebounds per night. New York scored 106 points in the game against the Boston Celtics and gave up 104 points. The team only managed 31 rebounds though, making the Knicks the worst rebounding team in the NBA so far. Hopefully that can change a bit on Wednesday night.

Anthony is also the leading scorer in the NBA with 37 points per game and Chandler is second in blocks at 6 per game. Those are just stats from one game and the Knicks hope they can get duplicated on Wednesday night. Start time is at 10:30 p.m. ET and the game is on NBA TV for fans to watch.

More From YCN :

Knicks Take First Place

No_Garnett_Suspension

New_York_Wins_Opener_Against_Boston

Knicks_Win_Second_Preseason_Game

Baron_Davis_Comes_To_Knicks

Sources:

NBA Statistics

Full Knicks Schedule

New York Knicks Website

*Ryan Christopher DeVault is a fan of the New York Knicks that has followed the team since the days John Starks, Charles Oakley, and Anthony Mason instilled their defensive will on the rest of the league.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

It’s looking like Boston may come to the rescue and take Paul without an extension. That will at least take some leverage from CP3.

Rondo, with the right package, might be the best we can hope for. I don’t think that would be the end of the world. Rondo is two thirds Paul; he’s Paul’s equal passing and penetrating. His draw back is his shot, which is no where near Paul’s. Maybe we can get Collison in a third team scenario. But it’s highly unlikely we will get equal value for Paul under the circumstances.

Let’s face it, even with Paul the Hornets are not winning a championship in today’s league. The league really screwed up not inhibiting player movement more in the new deal. Now we are going to see the Trophy circulate between 4 or 5 cities ad nauseam. Most teams will be playing for a first round berth in the playoffs with a few more capable of stumbling into the second round. But the new NBA is a mega team league of 4 or 5 cities and Chris Paul will be on one of those mega teams.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Read More: nba rumors, Chris Paul (G – NOH), Klay Thompson (G – Washington St.), Stephen Curry (G – GSW), Ekpe Udoh (C – GSW), New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are one of three teams now at the center of Chris Paul trade rumors, as multiple reporters led by Yahoo!’s Adrian Wojnarowski listed the W’s, Boston Celtics and L.A. Clippers as the clubs in serious talks with the New Orleans Hornets for the services of the All-Star point guard. SI.com’s Sam Amick reports that for the Warriors’ part, the team’s three most recent lottery picks have been included in the offer for CP3.

Those picks would be stud guard Stephen Curry, defensive big man Ekpe Udoh and 2011 pick Klay Thompson. Udoh showed promise late last season after starting his rookie campaign injured, and Thompson enters a league coveted athletic wing. Curry, of course, is one of the league’s hottest young guards, a killer sharpshooter who has erased questions about his point guard abilities in short order.

Amick also reports that the Warriors would need to waive Andris Biedrins and sign coveted free agent center Tyson Chandler — a close friend of CP3′s — to have a reasonable belief that Paul could be retained beyond the 2011-12 season.

For more on the Warriors, visit Golden State Of Mind and SB Nation Bay Area.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

On Tuesday, December 6, 2011, the NBA announced the revised 66-game regular season for all NBA teams. Games this year will start on Christmas, finish on April 26, which is a little later than usual, and the playoffs will last from April 28 until the latest June 26. For the Golden State Warriors, the team has been dealt an interesting abbreviated schedule this season.

Opening series

Recently, the Warriors were added to the Christmas Opening Day slate of games with a home game against the Los Angeles Clippers on ESPN. For new Warriors head coach Mark Jackson, he will benefit from the supportive home crowd at Oracle Arena with four games against the Clippers, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, and Philadelphia 76ers before coaching his first road game against the Phoenix Suns on January 2.

Only one back-to-back-to-back series

As a part of the new agreement, each team is required to play on three consecutive nights at least once during the season. For the Warriors, they will only have to worry about this burden once against the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and Minnesota Timberwolves. Unfortunately, the team will have this crucial series on the road and near the end of the season (April 20-22), meaning these games may affect whether or not the team makes the playoffs this season.

A visiting (or returning) Chris Paul(notes) to New Orleans

The Warriors have been involved in many major free agent and trade talks this offseason with the likes of Tyson Chandler(notes), Marc Gasol(notes), David West(notes), DeAndre Jordan(notes), and others. However, no talks have been more important and series than those involving a trade for New Orleans Hornets point guard Paul. Whether or not the Warriors make a trade for one of the best players in the NBA, two of the Warriors’ games against the Hornets take place during an eight-day span in March could feature some homecoming games for Paul, Stephen Curry(notes), Ekpe Udoh(notes), and any other players that are involved in this possible trade.

All NBA marquee Eastern Conference teams are coming to Oakland

With an abbreviated schedule, the Warriors will only play 18 games against Eastern Conference teams. Fortunately for Warriors fans, the team will play their lone games against the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Knicks, and Orlando Magic at home this season.

Seventeen nationally-televised games

The Warriors are expected to play on national television 17 times this season, including six games on ESPN, four games on TNT, and seven games on NBA TV. Some of the big games on national TV include a game versus the Magic on January 12 and the team’s final two games of the season against the Hornets and San Antonio Spurs on TNT.

Sources:

Shorter NBA schedule has 42 back-to-back-to-backs, AP

2011-12 WARRIORS SCHEDULE, Warriors.com

More from this contributor:

Fan’s Take: Will Warriors’ Amundson have comeback year with Jackson in charge?

Warriors Head Coach Mark Jackson’s Coaching Debut on National TV: Fan’s Take

Fan’s Take: Should the Warriors Use the Amnesty Clause and for Whom?

Austin is a lifelong resident of the bay area, a lifelong basketball fan and Golden State Warriors supporter, and a contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow this contributor on Twitter @_austinchang.

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For the first time in franchise history, the Golden State Warriors Opening Night game will be nationally televised as part of a five-game schedule to tip off the 2011-2012 NBA season. Set for a 7:30 p.m. PT tipoff on ESPN, Mark Jackson will debut as the new Warriors head coach against Blake Griffin(notes) and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Back when the regular season was set to start at the beginning of November, the NBA was planning to have its typical Christmas Day tripleheader featuring the Boston Celtics at the New York Knicks, the Miami Heat at the Dallas Mavericks, and the Chicago Bulls at the Los Angeles Lakers. However, after coming to a tentative agreement for a new labor deal on Saturday, Nov. 26, the league decided to include this Warriors nightcap matchup following a game featuring the Orlando Magic at the Oklahoma City Thunder.

After taking the Golden State job over the summer, Jackson, a former television personality for NBA games on ESPN, will be front and center on national TV for his coaching debut. With little time to prepare with players like Monta Ellis(notes), Stephen Curry(notes), and David Lee(notes), Jackson may struggle initially in regards to building rapport and implementing his offensive and defensive philosophies with his team. As with any new coaching regime, Jackson may experience some growing pains with his team, as he will be pressed for the time during the league’s abbreviated preseason.

Even though the team currently has 12 players on the roster (assuming the team signs Klay Thompson(notes), Jeremy Tyler(notes), and Charles Jenkins(notes) to rookie contracts) and will not need to sign too many free agents to fill up their roster, there is still much uncertainty regarding the state of the Warriors roster on Opening Night. With a little more than three weeks left before the start of the season, Warriors general manager Larry Riley and company have been contemplating plenty of free agent options, the amnesty clause, and possible trades. If the Warriors end up signing former Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler(notes), their No. 1 offseason free agent target, or other big men like New Orleans Hornets power forward David West(notes) or Denver Nuggets center Nene, the team will certainty need to make several more moves before the start of the season.

While there is sure to be some nerves in Jackson and the rest of the players, the team does have history on its side. Last year on Christmas Night, the Warriors defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 109-102 to end a six-game Christmas Night losing streak that started back in 1971. While that can be seen as good news for the Warriors, all eyes around the country will be on Jackson, seeing if he has what it takes to be a successful NBA head coach.

Sources:

Warriors To Tip Off 2011-12 Season On Christmas Night Versus Clippers at Oracle Arena, Warriors.com

Magic-Thunder, Clippers-Warriors set for Christmas, AP

Golden State Warriors Roster, Yahoo! Sports

Austin is a lifelong resident of the bay area, a lifelong basketball fan and Golden State Warriors supporter, and a contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow this contributor on Twitter @_austinchang.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

There is the quick update of the day.

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Mark Jackson is a very driven man. He might have his detractors as a color commentator for his coverage of the NBA. He might have made his fair share of enemies from his time as a basketball player. So it’s not a huge surprise that people would be skeptical of his ability to coach the Golden State Warriors.

But you know who isn’t skeptical about his ability to coach the Golden State Warriors? Mark Jackson. Oh, and God. Sorry, you lose haters.

Check out this interview with Grantland (HT Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk).

Do you have to put your pastor duties aside once the NBA season starts?

I never put it aside. It’s a full-time call. My wife is the co-pastor, and I’m a man of tremendous faith. I believe that me being the head coach of the Golden State Warriors is an assignment from God. I look at it from both positions. The Bible says to whom much is given, much is required. So I don’t believe the pressures on me to perform both positions.

Yeah, I feel the power in here. Jackson clearly has his heart into this, which is sometimes all you need (take a look at what Doc Rivers did in Boston). Should be great to see these new Warriors in action when the season tips off in about a month!

Oh, what’s that you say?

For more on Mark Jackson as Warriors head coach, discuss it at our site dedicated to Golden State coverage at Golden State of Mind.

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As expected, the Boston Celtics will be losing one of their assistant coaches once the NBA lockout ends.

No, not Lawrence Frank, although there’s still a strong possibility he ends up elsewhere.

Assistant Darren Erman has agreed in principle to a deal with the Golden State Warriors, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports. He will join former ESPN analyst Mark Jackson on the remade Warriors staff.

Erman spent four seasons in Boston, where he performed a variety of tasks such as scouting and working out players.

In addition, Frank remains one of the main candidates for the Pistons head coaching gig, along with being a viable option to join the Knicks’ staff.

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Read More: mark jackson, espn, television schedule, nba tv, tnt, nbatv, 2011-2012 nba schedule, 2011-12 nba schedule, warriors 2011 schedule, warriors 2011-12 nba schedule, nba schedule announcement, nba schedule 2011-2012, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings

Although the NBA is dealing with an ugly lockout situation right now, that didn’t stop them from releasing the 2011-2012 NBA regular season schedule three weeks early. Maybe David Stern felt it would sufficiently distract people from the reality of the situation. Whatever the case, if the season does start on time, the Golden State Warriors 2011-2012 schedule gets off to quite a bang. The Mark Jackson era will start with a home opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on ESPN on November 2.

The Warriors schedule will feature a pair of six-game road trips and nine separate appearances on ESPN or TNT. Throw in eight NBA TV appearances and it seems like the NBA is excited to showcase the new Mark Jackson Warriors.

For folks looking at potentially getting some sort of season ticket package for the upcoming season, the Warriors will face a host of interesting teams throughout the season. After opening with the Lakers, the Sacramento Kings will come to town on November 4. If the Warriors take to Mark Jackson’s commitment to defense, they will get a strong test from an explosive Kings offense. The Kings might not be able to defend to save their life, but they’ll be a high scoring team this season.

The Warriors will host Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder twice, on November 30 and February 7. They’ll host the Boston Celtics on March 14. They’ll also face the defending champion Dallas Mavericks at Oracle Arena on March 10 and April 12. They wrap up their season with a pair of games with the LA Clippers going to LA on April 14 and coming back home April 18. Maybe those games will actually have some playoff meaning? Might as well get hopes up now.

For more on the Warriors 2011-2012 NBA schedule, head over to Golden State of Mind.

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