Warriors' defense steps up in close win over Knicks

Moses Moody broke a tie with 2:26 to go, Draymond Green added a back-breaking hoop with 25 seconds left and the Golden State Warriors tightened the defensive screws on the New York Knicks down the stretch for a 97-94 triumph Saturday night in San Francisco.

After having watched Karl-Anthony Towns almost single-handedly draw the visitors even, Moody converted a driving layup that gave Golden State the lead for good.

As the Knicks were missing their next four shots while also mixing in two turnovers, the Warriors finally created some breathing room on two Green free throws with 1:06 left before he drove past Towns for the clinching layup.

Stephen Curry led the way with 28 points for the Warriors, who won their seventh straight. The star guard converted four of his 13 3-point shots.

Shooting 12-for-21, Towns had a game-high 29 points for the Knicks, who closed out a 2-3 Western swing that began with a pair of defeats.

Seeking to sweep the two-game season series, the Warriors led most of the way, including 84-75 with 9:32 remaining in the game after a Moody 3-pointer.

But Towns spearheaded a New York rally, scoring the visitors' next 11 points to close the gap to 88-86 with 4:39 to go. When Mikal Bridges connected from 10 feet at the 2:52 mark, the game was tied. By the time New York scored again on an OG Anunoby free throw with 17 seconds remaining, however, the visitors had lost touch.

Curry also found time for a team high-tying seven rebounds and five assists for the Warriors, who won their fourth in a row at the start of a seven-game homestand.

Moody finished with 18 points, while Jimmy Butler chipped in with 11 points, six rebounds and a game high-tying seven assists. In his second outing after a 31-game absence, Jonathan Kuminga added 10 points off the bench.

Towns, who was absent for personal reasons when the Warriors won 114-102 at New York earlier this month, completed a double-double with a game-high 12 rebounds.

Anunoby totaled 23 points, nine rebounds and three steals for the Knicks, who once again were without star guard Jalen Brunson. Bridges and Miles McBride contributed 19 points apiece as New York's top four scorers combined for 90 of the team's 94 points.

Josh Hart aided the New York cause with seven rebounds and a team-high seven assists on a scoreless night.

--Field Level Media