Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr credited his team’s energy for Thursday’s 126-113 victory over the New York Knicks at Chase Center. “I think the energy that [Moses Moody] brought, right from the beginning, helped just with everything,” Kerr said, highlighting the forward’s recent aggressive play.
Kerr praised Moody’s shooting and team contribution. “Moses has been great the last couple games and much more aggressive… most of the shots just came out of the flow of the offense,” he said. He also acknowledged assistant coach Terry Stott’s play design on a key flare screen. “It was Terry’s play… like an old Portland play that he liked to run,” Kerr noted.
The coach pointed to the impact of his second unit led by Jimmy Butler. “They came in, turned up the heat defensively, got some turnovers, some transition hoops, and Jimmy was incredible tonight,” Kerr said. He also mentioned the bench consistency: “With the emergence of De’Anthony and Al… we have a really good second unit around Jimmy. It’s fun to watch.”
Kerr compared this season to last year’s playoff push. “We’re a different team… it’s a marathon all year long. We have Melt, we have Al… but we’re starting to catch some momentum and playing pretty well,” he said. He emphasized the starting lineup’s versatility. “He [Moody] guards generally the best perimeter player and is a very good three-point shooter… he’s going to find some open looks out there,” Kerr added.
Brandin Podziemski’s growth also drew praise. “He’s great… secondary ball handler, rebounder, really good defensive player… he’s playing with a lot of confidence,” Kerr said. On Gui Santos, he reported, “He didn’t think it was a bad sprain, but I haven’t talked to Rick yet, so we’ll see.”
Kerr reflected on leadership and team culture. “I’ve been so lucky to be here in this organization and with Steph… leadership within the team is the most important thing,” he said after being recognized as one of 2025’s top sports leaders.
He also noted the value of the home stretch. “Wins help everything… playing home games, no back-to-backs, everyone more physically and emotionally prepared,” Kerr said. He stressed the importance of finishing the home stand strong against Charlotte, Toronto, and Miami.
On the court, Jimmy Butler led Golden State with 32 points and eight rebounds, Stephen Curry added 27 points and seven assists, and Moses Moody scored 21 points on seven 3-pointers. Brandin Podziemski chipped in 19 points. New York’s Miles McBride and OG Anunoby had 25 points each, Mikal Bridges added 21, and Karl-Anthony Towns posted 17 points with a season-best 20 rebounds.
The win moves Golden State to 22-19, climbing closer to the playoff race, while the Knicks fall to 25-15 in the East. Both teams meet again on Saturday, with the Warriors hosting Charlotte and New York facing Phoenix.
