It was as if in one night in the garden 11 months of enthusiastic fervor had been unleashed.
A strong, lively crowd of 2,000 cheered on the Knicks, slowed the Warriors and applauded the referees Tuesday night. But in the end, the first crowd in the garden of the season – which a team spokesman called sold – could only do so much and win the Warriors’ talent.
Golden State beat the Knicks in the second half to secure a 114-106 victory. Stephen Curry rained on 37 points and Draymond Green was all over the court in a defensive gem.
Green made the newly minted All-Star Julius Randle fight from the field as he amassed 11 assists, two steals and one block. Randle finished with 25 points on 8 of 21 shots and was sent off with 17.5 seconds after picking up his second technique.
In fact, the Knicks felt frustrated afterwards, with coach Tom Thibodeau and Derrick Rose worrying about the lack of calls following the Knicks ’path, perhaps causing them to shoot only 39 percent.
“Sometimes they get calls, sometimes they don’t,” Thibodeau said. “It just seemed like there was a lot of contact in our units and we didn’t get the calls. We have to deal with it, yes. “
Meanwhile, RJ Barrett had a tough night, shooting 1 of 9 for four points and losing a key free throw in the absence of 1:26.
“Viously we obviously didn’t play well,” Thibodeau said. “They played very well. [Curry’s] shooting has a big part of his offense and Draymond is fantastic when it comes to making decisions, so he stretches you pretty well. “
The crowd was in the noisiest moment when Barrett was called for a foul on Kelly Oubre with 59.8 seconds left.
Thibodeau lost the challenge, which made the ridiculous Garden even more angry. The loss of the challenge also caused Thibodeau to qualify.
“I didn’t think there was a foul,” Thibodeau said. “It simply came to our notice then. This was my point of view, if it was a fault, there were others that were also faults that were not said. It can’t be one way and that’s what you’re looking for. Just look for consistency “.
The night seemed to become special when Randle picked up the microphone before disconnecting to the “MVP” chants, thanked the essential workers and shouted, “Come on Knicks!” MVP chants would continue as long as he fired free throws.
“Right from the jump, you could tell they were excited about the way they cheered Ju on,” Rose said. “You forget how much energy you get and bounce when the fans are in the building. Hopefully things will continue to improve and let more fans in. It can be said that the city is excited and hopes to reach some games. “
But then Randle’s night ended on a sour note with his late expulsion to cry.
“It was tough,” Randle said. “It simply came to our notice then. But I just leave it at that. But I won’t let him dictate how the night goes. I’m more upset about how we lost the game. I feel like I could have done better. “
During the presentation of the players, the Warriors were booed, just as when one of their players went to the foul line.
“There were fans who were stunned, which is amazing,” Curry said. “There’s no better feeling: I don’t care if it’s 19,000 or 2,000. You like to silence a lot of roads.”
After Green threw straight deep punches, fans of the blue seats started singing “Draaay-mooond.” Everything felt refreshing after almost two months of a barren garden environment featuring computer-generated noise.
Anxious fans, who missed the first 14 games, were sprinkled all over the arena, many with the new Immanuel Quickley or Randle shirts. Unfortunately for them, Quickley suffered a quiet night (1 for 5, three points).
Next to the court were 20 fans of social distances, including former star of the giant Justin Tuck.
Team president Leon Rose and his lieutenants had been seated next to the court for the crowdless games, but were moved Tuesday behind the baseline.
The frustration of the second half – and the referees – also reached Rose and senior vice-president William Wesley. The Warriors started the second half with a 22-6 run.
After Elfrid Payton was called in for a questionable foul after stripping Curry, Rose stepped on his feet and Wesley jumped angrily from his seat, walking disgustingly.
In fact, the two senior Knicks officials were trapped in the newly charged environment. Meanwhile, Knicks owner James Dolan was not present in his new 100-tier seat, probably hidden in a suite.