Knicks Ugly Win Over Depleted Warriors Raises Serious Concerns

The New York Knicks beat the Golden State Warriors 110-107 at Madison Square Garden, and honestly, it's hard to feel great about it. Golden State was missing Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, Kristaps Porzingis, Seth Curry and Al Horford.

That is basically their entire team, and New York still made it a fight till the final buzzer.

The first quarter was genuinely painful to watch. Golden State's reserves were doing whatever they wanted, Pat Spencer hitting stepbacks, Quinten Post knocking down threes and Brandin Podziemski running the show like he owned the place. The Knicks scored just 21 points in the opening frame and found themselves down by as many as 21. Against this Warriors team. At home.

This is not the first time New York has come out completely flat, and that pattern is starting to become a real problem.

New York at least started finding their footing in the second quarter. Brunson got to the line, Jordan Clarkson gave them some life off the bench, and OG Anunoby knocked down a couple of threes to chip away at the deficit. The Knicks outscored Golden State 24-19 to make it 54-45 at halftime, not comfortable, but moving in the right direction.

The third quarter is where this team finally looked like themselves. New York went on a 38-26 run, with Brunson controlling the pace and Karl-Anthony Towns active on both ends. They went into the fourth with a lead, but the Warriors just refused to go away.

The fourth quarter was its own kind of stressful. Golden State kept creeping back, Podziemski and Gui Santos refusing to let it die. With six seconds left and the Knicks clinging to a one-point lead, OG Anunoby stepped to the line and knocked down both free throws to make it 110-107. Shamet then stole a Quinten Post turnover and that was finally that.

Knicks vs Warriors Box Score Highlights

Mar 15, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) dribbles around New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Brunson was the best player on the floor, finishing with 30 points, nine assists, and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. He carried New York through the rough patches, and his clutch play in the fourth is the main reason this win happened at all. Towns chipped in 17 points and 12 rebounds, doing the dirty work inside when the Knicks needed it most.

Off the bench, Clarkson was solid with 14 points, and Landry Shamet added 10, including a big three in the fourth that pushed the lead back out.

For Golden State, Podziemski led everyone with 25 points, and Post added 22. Gui Santos finished with 20 points and seven rebounds, and for a lineup that had no business competing, they made the Knicks earn every single point.

The concern is not that the Knicks won. It is how they almost did not. Coming out and spotting 21 points to a team missing seven of their best players is not a one-off anymore, it is a habit. A team that genuinely believes it can make the NBA Finals cannot keep doing this and expect to get away with it against real competition.

New York is 44-25 and third in the East, with the playoffs right around the corner.

The talent on this roster is good enough to go further, but slow starts and sloppy first quarters will get them bounced before they even get close. That has to change, and it has to change now.

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