Is sent to sit on bench
solid player.”
Lee played just 21 minutes - his fewest of the season. He only saw the court for five minutes in the second half and scored seven points on seven shots.
Hornacek informed Lee of his decision before the game. According to Lee, the Knicks coach said he wanted to pair Lee up with Brandon Jennings on the second unit and see him take on more of a scoring role. But the vision never came to fruition.
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Carmelo Anthony referred to Ron Baker as “Burgundy” during his halftime interview on MSG Monday. Baker confirmed “Burgundy” is one of many locker-room nicknames handed to him by his teammates this season. It’s a reference to the film “Anchorman” starring Will Ferrell. “That’s one of the first ones Melo gave me this summer when we first met,” Baker said. — with Stefan Bondy OAKLAND — Now, everybody can sit back for a few months and envision the possibility of another scintillating NBA Finals between Cleveland and Golden State.
LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry for the third straight time, complete with the hard-nosed play of Draymond Green, dazzling dunks from Kevin Durant and sharp shooting from Kyrie Irving.
This regular-season round went to the Warriors, who dominated from the start on Monday — and it wasn’t even close. The defending champs were dismantled on the very floor where they captured the franchise’s first title last June.
Curry and his superstar supporting cast certainly looked ready to trade more postseason blows with Cleveland. The two-time reigning MVP hit five 3-pointers on the way to 20 points while matching his season best with 11 assists in Golden State’s 126-91 rout of the Cavaliers.
“This is high-quality basketball, at its highest level,” Curry said. “These are the kinds of atmospheres that you live for. Whether you win or lose, regular season, playoffs, whatever, that you can play in that kind of environment that’s always fun.”
Klay Thompson scored 26 points with five 3s, and Green produced his third triple-double of the season with 11 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. He also equaled his career best with five blocks — and had another confrontation with King James in the process.
James scored 20 points on 6-of-18 shooting with eight rebounds. But he and Green became the talk once more as their relationship again turned testy.
The latest altercation between Green and James came with 6:55 left in the first half. Golden State led, 52-35, when James collided with Green near midcourt, resulting in a flagrant 1 foul on Golden State’s emotional All-Star. Green’s arm extended across the upper body of James, who went down hard and lay on the court. Green reacted by appearing to mock James for flopping.
After a long replay review, a double technical was called on Green and Richard Jefferson.
“I fouled him to stop the break and he went down, and in the aftermath, I told (Jefferson) to get out of my face, got a technical,” said Green, who appeared to mock James for flopping. “Just in the heat of the moment in the game, having some fun, nothing major.”
Yet he wasn’t the only one to sense some embellishment from James.
“Flagrant 1 on Draymond?? What has happened to my league??” Reggie Miller posted on Twitter.
“I think his shoulder hit me in the face, but it happened so fast I didn’t even know who it was,” James said. “I’m all right. I’m a football player.”