Stephen Curry wasn’t playing. The New York Knicks – that famous franchise featuring a starting line-up of Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler – was in town. Oh, and did I mention Stephen Curry wasn’t playing? How were my hometown Golden State Warriors going to win this one?

Apparently, they were going to do it with defense.

That’s right, for the second time in three days, the Golden State Warriors won a game because of tight, solid D, this one against the Knicks by a score of 92-78. I know. I’m in shock about it too.

When Mark Jackson was appointed coach not too long ago, the point guard legend – who wasn’t a particularly strong defender mind you – stressed that we were going to be seeing a different style of Warriors basketball than we were used to. Gone would be the days of the run-and-gun offense and 140-139 score-lines. It was time to slow the ball down, run a half-court set, and, much to everyone’s surprise, players would actually be required to get back and show some defensive intensity. Goodbye Phoenix Suns, hello San Antonio Spurs.

Look, I realize the season is only three games old, and there’s no guarantee that the W’s will keep this up, but Warriors fans are excited about what they’ve seen the last few days, and they should be.

I was at the Oracle Arena last night, and while it’s always a fantastic place to watch a game (a “great time out” as the old ads used to say), there was a different kind of energy in the building. It was sort of like the fans were realizing that the Warriors were going to grind out a win against a team with two elite scorers, and that it wasn’t because they scored a zillion points while luckily giving up one less. The W’s deserved this win, and it was a win to be proud of.

A few quick observations from last night’s contest:

• Brandon Rush, (and also Dominic McGuire, but more so Rush), is the perfect fit for this team. The Warriors got this guy for Lou Amundson? Really? The former Kansas star scored big buckets and played tight D, and he really looks like he’s going to make a home for himself in Golden State.

• Monta Ellis shook off a terrible first half and really shined in the second, even without Curry in the back-court. He facilitated beautifully down the stretch, and hit some big 3′s when it mattered. That’s what a team leader is supposed to do.

• Some people behind me were chanting “MVP” for Monta while he was at the free throw line late in the game. A little premature for that I think. Let’s try and get the guy on an All-Star team first.

• A great ovation for former W’s point guard Jeremy Lin when he subbed in right before the end of the game. The Bay Area native certainly remains a fan favorite.

Next, the Warriors take on the Philadelphia 76ers at home on New Year’s Eve. Can they make it three in a row?

REFERENCES:

“Ellis rallies Warriors Past Knicks, 92-78,” Associated Press

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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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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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What a difference one night can make. Just 24 hours after getting blown out by the Los Angeles Clippers 105-86 to kick off their season in underwhelming fashion, the Golden State Warriors put on an absolute clinic at the Oracle Arena in Oakland on Monday night, beating the Chicago Bulls 99-91. What a way for my hometown team to get their first win of the shortened 66-game campaign, and Mark Jackson his first ever coaching victory.

As I wrote yesterday, it appears that the Warriors are going to go as Stephen Curry goes, and he most certainly went last night. After a dismal opening day performance, Curry showed flashes of the brilliant point guard we are all hoping he’ll be, putting up an amazing stat line of 21 points, ten assists, seven rebounds, and six steals, not to mention a couple of breathtaking alley-oops, including a three-quarters court toss to Dorell Wright. And that’s all with missing a large chunk of the fourth quarter after re-injuring his ankle yet again, this time after landing on Kyle Korver’s foot. (Apparently Curry is going to have to miss the Warriors’ next game against the New York Knicks on Wednesday, making an already tough contest even tougher).

Jackson has been stressing that this Golden State Warriors team is going to be focused around defense, so perhaps it’s only fitting that in his first ever win, the team played great D on reigning league MVP Derrick Rose, holding him to 13 points on 4 of 17 shooting, and that they also managed to rack up 16 steals in the process. I know it’s been a while since there’s been basketball, but this was the best defensive effort that I’ve seen from a W’s team in a very, very long time.

And I’m not going to say that I’m right (it’s only been two games after all), but Kwame Brown’s performance Monday night was inspired. In 23 solid minutes off of the bench, the big man made in impact defending against the always tough Joakim Noah. And a +/- of +21? Nicely done, Kwame.

So what does it all mean? That the Warriors are going to play tough D, beat up on good Eastern Conference teams, effectively use 11 players (there is no telling the depths of Coach Jackson’s bench), and win games without scoring 100 points? Probably not. But even if this is just a one-time thing, it was great to see the W’s put together a performance that shows the potential of what this team could one day be.

Can they do it again on Wednesday without Curry against the Knicks? I’m not going to be the one who says that they can’t.

REFERENCES:

“Curry Leads Warriors to 99-91 Win Over Bulls,” Associated Press.

J. Michael Falgoust, “Warriors’ Curry (ankle) Could Miss a Game,” USA Today.

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That’s all the news for today.

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: Golden State Warriors

Mark Jackson has been named the new head coach of the Golden State Warriors, ESPN’s Marc Stein reported Monday night. Though Jackson has been rumored in connection with the vacant New York Knicks coaching job in 2008, he’s never held a NBA coaching position. Or any other coaching position, for that matter. Mama, there goes that franchise! 

Before becoming an ABC and ESPN analyst, Jackson played point guard for the Knicks, Indiana Pacers and five other teams. He was named the 1987-88 NBA Rookie of the Year after being selected in the first round out of St. Johns. Jackson had been rumored to be in consideration for the Warriors spot, along with Mike Malone, Mike Budenholzer and others.

Jackson will take over for Keith Smart, who took over for Don Nelson just before the 2010-11 season and went 36-46.

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