The word for the night, ladies and gentlemen, is “frustration.”
Frustration from getting their posterior kicked for 48 minutes, frustration from allowing the opponent to run up its season-high point total, frustration from falling 17 games under .500, frustration from losing a fifth straight game and 11th in 13 tries. And all that frustration can lead to an ejection.
Just ask Knick Tyson Chandler, who was ejected for pushing, shoving, jawing, jousting and whatever else he did with the Warriors’ Marreese Speights Friday at the Garden, where the Knicks were stomped, 126-103.
“It was just a night of frustration. Less to do with [Speights] and more to do with everything that’s going on,” said Chandler who was ejected on his second technical with 4:33 remaining when the game was beyond any hope of salvation.
“It’s frustrating when you’re down 20, and you just can’t seem to break that barrier,” said Warrior Klay Thompson (25 points). “He plays hard, but he let his emotions get the best of him.”
Thompson wasn’t even the biggest part of the Warrior offense that used the Knicks alleged defense for target practice. One year and one day after his 54-point detonation against the Knicks at the Garden, Stephen Curry registered his fourth career triple-double and third this season, finishing with 27 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds.
Don’t forget Speights, who saw what was going on with the Knicks’ psyche, especially Chandler.
“When you lose like that, you get all kind of emotional,” Speights said. “Emotions came through and I guess he wanted to pick a fight. He was getting beat, so that’s emotions. I was saying stuff, too.”
With 6:46 left, Chandler and Speights bumped as teams headed to the Knicks end. Double technicals were issued. Jawing continued, especially when Speights hit consecutive jumpers, drawing a foul on the second.
“It felt good,” Speights admitted of scoring.
On an attempted inside move, Speights was fouled by Chandler, who responded to the Warriors’ verbal assault with other niceties that got him ejected.
“It was just me being frustrated with everything that’s been going on,” Chandler said.
“When you get beat like that [at] home, it’s all frustration, but it’s over with,” Speights said.
One guy who truly was glad it ended how it did was Knicks coach Mike Woodson.
“He was frustrated,” Woodson said. “I am glad no punches were thrown and we surely can’t have him suspended. I am glad that didn’t happen.”
That didn’t happen — and neither did the Knicks doing anything resembling defending much of the game. Curry and Thompson are special — real special.
“They have the ability to go down, if they continue doing what they’re doing, as the best tandem shooters that this league has ever seen,” Warriors veteran center Jermaine O’Neal said.
That’s what they looked like to the Knicks on Friday. But then, everyone in a Warriors uniform looked great. Frustration, and losing, can do that.