The New York Knicks were back home after a devastating loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves – who on record is the worst team in the league thus far. They prepared to host the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas came into Madison Square Garden on a 2-game win streak. They are 7th in the Western Conference. On the other hand, New York is 6th in the East and was trying not to go under .500 again.
To start the first quarter, both teams were going tit for tat. Julius Randle tied the game at 12, a little past the halfway mark. New York never led, but towards the end of the quarter, it was a 1-point game. A three-pointer by Immanuel Quickley gave his team their first lead of the game. Alec Burks knocked in another bucket from downtown. They were down by as many as 6 but were able to go up by 5. Luca Doncic’s layup cut into that advantage. Still, New York was ahead 25-22 going into the second.
As Doncic was driving down court early in the second quarter, Burks got the steal. He hit his second three-pointer to give New York a 7-point lead. Quickley tried to get his second three as well, but it would not go in. Obi Toppin shocked the Garden with a monstrous put-back dunk. New York went on a 9-0 run to put them ahead by 13. Eventually, Dallas scored 10 unanswered points to make it a 3-point game toward the quarter’s end. The game was tied at 46 with just under a minute to go. Then, Dallas took the lead back with 13 seconds left in the half. It was a 49-46 game at the break.
Regie Bullock came into the third, knocking in a bucket from behind the arc to put New York back up. Past the midway point in the third, it was a 1-point game yet again. Neither team was going away. Toward the end of the quarter, New York was out of synch and allowed Dallas to take an 8-point lead. Despite some rough patches offensively, they managed to go into the final quarter, only down three once again.
The fourth quarter was a very tight game in the beginning. After most of the quarter had gone by, Dallas found themselves in possession of the 13 point lead that once belonged to New York. They went on a 10-0 run and from there never looked back. Although New York was solid from the line, they could not get things going from the field. Of the 16 shots they took, they only made 4. Julius Randle and RJ Barrett began to come alive at the very end, but it would be too late. New York fell short to Dallas 94-83.
Alec Burks led the team with 20 points. Behind him was Randle with a rare double-double. He finished with 14 points and 10 assists. On a good day, Randle generally scores higher in both categories. Doncic led Dallas with 26 points. Jalen Brunson contributed 15. Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr had 14 points apiece.
Regardless of the loss, Derrick Rose said New York has to stay together, especially down the stretch playing tough teams.
“Every team is fighting for something right now,” he said. “Teams that are not fighting for something would love to be the team to knock us out the playoffs.”
Up Next:
Both New York and Dallas are back in action on Saturday, April 3rd. Dallas will face Washington at 7:00 pm. New York will visit Detroit at 8:00 pm.
