The New York Knicks (25*–15) visit the Golden State Warriors (22–19, eighth in the West) tonight at Chase Center in San Francisco. This cross-conference matchup pairs a stumbling team that can occasionally be great against a Warriors team that has steadied itself behind veteran leadership and a strong home-court energy. Stay up late with us and watch it on Prime Video.
When these two last played, the Knicks dropped a tight, back-and-forth 97–94 decision to the Warriors at Chase Center. That game featured
13 lead changes and came down to the final minute. New York erased a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, tying it at 88, but late buckets from Draymond Green and Stephen Curry closed the door. Towns led all scorers with 29 points and 12 rebounds, with OG Anunoby adding 23 and Bridges 19. Golden State got 28 from Curry and 18 from Moses Moody.
New York still looks good on paper, but problems abound. Their 4th-best offense has not looked it lately. They are even less likely to live up to their potential with Jalen Brunson expected to have the night off (spoiler). Plus, their 17th-ranked defense looks unable to stop a bloody nose with a whole box of Kleenex. They look bad, man! That’s what I’m saying!
Moreover, the Knicks will be playing the second night of a back-to-back after a demoralizing loss in Sacramento. They have dropped six of their last eight games, and their road record is 9-11. Did someone say 911? Call it! This team needs an ambulance, stat.
From the small favors department: this will be the fourth and final game of their West Coast swing. Surely, they’ll bounce back at home on Saturday against the . . . Phoenix Suns. [Slaps forehead.]
The Warriors must be licking their chops. They enter the contest as a solid but uneven playoff team. The Warriors are 14–6 at home, allow 113.2 points per game, and have the league’s seventh-best defensive rating. Their 119–97 blowout of Portland on Tuesday showed everything this team can be when their offense and defense synergize. The Dubs have won six of their last ten, and during that stretch, they’ve averaged 118.5 points while holding opponents below 116 points per game. How do you like New York’s chances so far?
Stephen Curry continues to add polish to a hall-of-fame-worthy career. He’s averaging close to 28 points per game on the season and 24.6 points with 5.7 assists over his last 10. Fellow vet Jimmy Butler has played solid ball, averaging 19.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 36 games. That old donkey Draymond Green has averaged 8.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. Rounding out the likely starters, Quinten Post has averaged 7.9 points and 3.8 rebounds, and Moses Moody has averaged 10.3 points and 3.1 boards.
For New York, with Jalen Brunson likely sidelined (see below), Karl-Anthony Towns will be expected to step into the leadership void. Still feeling good?
Injuries and fatigue loom large. The Knicks list Brunson as a game-time decision with a right ankle sprain suffered early in Sacramento. This ankle has been problematic before (missed extended time last season and a few games last November). Cap is an All-Star who relies upon extraordinary footwork. We pray this isn’t a harbinger of more sprains to come.
For Golden State, Seth Curry remains out with a back injury. Otherwise, the Warriors’ core rotation is intact.
Prediction
ESPN.com favors the Warriors tonight at 57%. Should be a little higher, no? From a tactical standpoint, the Knicks’ clearest path to victory is to control the glass and generate second-chance points to offset Golden State’s perimeter firepower. Mitchell Robinson would be the key for that, but he played last night. We’ll see if he suits up or sits for load management. Meanwhile, the Warriors will look to push pace, hunt threes (they take the most in the league), and use Curry’s off-ball movement to stretch a Knicks defense that has slipped during its recent skid.
The Knicks have proud players on their team. You can see their pride in their behavior. Josh Hart’s passionate determination to grab any ball that’s within ten feet of him; OG Anunoby’s commitment to his defensive craft; Mikal Bridges’ focus on making sure every single player gets a cute pre-game dap-up; and Towns’ fire and desire for complaining to refs. This team is too proud to fail. Sure, the Dubs are favored tonight, but some of these Knicks will refuse to go down without a fight (and others have feline monikers). Beyond that, New York can’t possibly repeat last night’s (truly) offensive performance. They missed 18 of their first 19 three-pointers to finish the first half with uno. Two nights in a row? No chance. We expect some real fight from our heroes tonight. Expect them to win? No. But some real fight . . . at times . . . for stretches . . . maybe not LONG stretches. . . . Sigh. I can’t wait for this road trip end.
Game Details
Date: Thursday, January 15, 2026
Time: 10:00 PM ET
Place: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
TV: Amazon Prime
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.
