• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Davis, Warriors add to Knicks' woes

Nov 21, 2007 - 4:33 AM By Larry Fleisher PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NEW YORK (Ticker) - While the ugliness continued for the New York Knicks, the Golden State Warriors were glad for another chance to continue their turnaround.

Baron Davis scored 31 points as the Warriors cruised to a 108-82 rout over the Knicks Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Stephen Jackson added 23 in his second game back from an season-opening seven-game suspension. The Warriors have won both games with Jackson and three in a row after opening the season with six consecutive defeats.

"We're in the point in our season where we don't really care what our record is," Davis said. "Our goal is to be above .500 going into the All-Star weekend and that's what we plan for. Once we get there we'll be able to evaluate ourselves and push forward."

Davis played 38 minutes and made 11-of-20 shots while grabbing six rebounds and handing out seven assists. His performance came on a night in which Golden State allowed 35 second-half points, recorded 17 steals and allowed a season-low in points for the third straight game.

"It's a good road win for us," Warriors coach Don Nelson said. "I thought we played an excellent second half. I just thought our defense was really good, our steals and our quickness to the double-teams, rotations were crisp.

"We did an awful lot of good things defensively that I thought we needed to do because they had a tremendous size advantage on us. It was just a pretty good all-around game."

The Knicks dropped their seventh straight game and fell to 2-8 through the first 10 games. It is their worst mark through 10 games since the 2002-03 season and also their longest losing streak since Larry Brown's one-year tenure in the 2005-06 campaign.

"We have to revamp," New York point guard Stephon Marbury said. "We have to go back to the drawing board."

"This is as difficult a loss that I've had in coaching since I've been here," Knicks coach Isiah Thomas added.

This one was their first home game since Marbury was told by Thomas he was not starting and then flew home from Phoenix before returning to the team Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Marbury was restored to the starting lineup after being a reserve in the previous three defeats. He was greeted with boos when he was introduced and on any occasion he touched the ball early on.

Thomas also was greeted with boos during introductions and a few fans chanted "Fire Isiah." Their vocal calls for Thomas' termination became increasingly louder as the Warriors took a 13-point into halftime.

"What they saw tonight, if I paid my money to see this game, I would be upset also," Thomas said. "This is New York so if you play well you get cheered and when you play this poorly you get booed.

"I didn't necessarily understand what they were chanting because you try to focus on the game. You know it wasn't nice. When you are watching a game we like played tonight, the venom that comes out, you deserve it."

Davis scored 11 points in the opening period and his three-point play with 5:18 remaining put Golden State ahead, 16-15. The Warriors never relinquished their lead and used runs of 10-5 and 13-5 in the second to gain further control.

Davis had five points in the initial run and Jackson scored five in the final 4:20 of the first half, including a 3-pointer that put Golden State ahead by double digits for the first time.

The Warriors failed to extend their lead as they missed their first eight shots of the second half and nine of their first 11. The Knicks were within nine on a David Lee basket with 6:18 remaining that prompted Golden State coach Don Nelson to call a timeout.

The Warriors eventually restored their double-digit lead with a 9-3 run that gave them a 77-62 advantage through three. The resulted in more boos for New York and an increase in the chants for Thomas' firing.

Golden State finally put the game away in the early minutes of the fourth as reserve Austin Croshere converted an uncontested backdoor layup for an 86-70 lead with 9:05 remaining.

By the time Monta Ellis hit a 15-footer for a 92-73 edge with 6:09 left, many in the crowd headed for the exits but some who stayed increased their volume in their anti-Thomas chants.

In his first appearance in front of the home fans since a 75-72 loss to Miami on November 11, Marbury scored 18 points in 38 minutes.

Zach Randolph recorded another double-double with 15 points and 16 rebounds.

Randolph's scoring and rebounds were among the few positives for New York, which had 15 turnovers by halftime, 22 through three and 29 overall.

"When you turn the ball over 30 times, anybody could beat us tonight," New York forward Quentin Richardson said.

Randolph's scoring and rebounds were among the few positives for New York, which had 15 turnovers by halftime, 22 through three and 29 overall. Randolph led the Knicks with seven turnovers while Jamal Crawford and Mardy Collins had four apiece. Golden State scored 35 points off those giveaways.

"You are not even giving yourself a chance to win when you are throwing the ball away," Crawford said. "I don't think any team can win throwing it away 30 times."