Stephen Curry made coach Mark Jackson's return to Madison Square Garden something he never expected, but came up a bit short.
Curry had one of the most exciting performances of the season against the New York Knicks on Wednesday, before his Golden State Warriors succumbed to the Knicks' defense in a 109-105 loss.
Curry lit up the Knicks for 54 points before a crowd of 19,000 fans who held their breath until the final possession. He shot 18-28 for the night, including 11-13 on 3-pointers.Curry left no doubt that it would be a special night scoring 27 points in the first half. Until Wednesday, only four players had made over 10 3-pointers in a game, a list which included the Knicks' J.R. Smith. "I felt good all night," said Curry. "Once I started seeing that 3-ball go down in transition, all sorts of spots on the floor, I knew it was going to be a good night.
Unfortunately, the Warriors weren't just shorthanded, but without one of their dominant forward David Lee. The All-Star was suspended for what amounted to a pushfest Tuesday night in Indiana. Curry didn't get much help from his supporting staff, either. Guard Klay Thompson shot a meager 3-13 including missing key shots in the clutch. Jarrett Jack shot 6-15, but that was somewhat offset by his 4 turnovers. In addition, they should've left the long ball to Curry. Although, Curry shot 11-13, his teammates shot only 4-14 from the 3 point line.
The Knicks seemed to dare Curry to score on them, but they did more than watch the highlight in action. Team Captain Carmelo Anthony scored 35 points while going 13-15 in free throws. In addition, center Tyson Chandler grabbed 28 rebounds, the most by a Knicks player in 25 years.
Curry's 56 points was the most scored by an NBA player in a loss since Kobe Bryant dropped 58 in a loss to Charlotte on Dec. 29, 2006. The night was a bittersweet homecoming for Coach Mark Jackson, one which did not take place last season due to the NBA lockout. The Brooklyn native was drafted by the Knicks in 1987.