5 numbers to know from the Mavericks’ 129-114 victory over the New York Knicks

Both the Dallas Mavericks (11-8) and New York Knicks (10-8) entered the American Airlines Center Wednesday winners of five of their last six respective games and something had to give. Even in the team’s fourth straight game without the services of Luka Dončić, who is scheduled to be re-evaluated Thursday after suffering a wrist injury against the Pelicans on Nov. 19, the Mavericks never gave up an inch at home. Dallas took control of the game as the first quarter wore on and never let up, earning a 129-114 victory over the Knicks. Dallas, in one of the most unlikely places, has now won six of its last seven games.

Naji Marshall and Kyrie Irving led a balanced Mavericks offensive attack as the Dallas defense clamped down on the Knicks throughout the first half. Marshall had 24 points in 30 minutes, while Irving scored 23, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out six assists in the win. Quentin Grimes had 21 points and seven boards, while Spencer Dinwiddie added 21 more and nine assists. Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 37 points and found teammates for seven assists for the Knicks in the loss.

Here are five more stats that tell the story of the Mavs’ blowout win over the Knicks.

16-2: Dallas’ run in the first quarter

The Mavericks survived their 0-of-5 start beyond the 3-point line by getting the ball in transition quickly off defensive rebounds. Marshall and PJ Washington scored on quick possessions early as both offenses started cold from the outside to give the Mavs a 6-4 lead. Dinwiddie found Marshall open in the corner for the Mavericks’ first 3-pointer of the game with 5:01 left in the first to extend the Dallas lead to 16-6.

Suddenly, the Dallas offense found the same rhythm it captured in recent wins over Atlanta Hawks and the Denver Nuggets. Dinwiddie scored on his own offensive rebound next to extend the Mavs’ run to 16-2 and the early lead to 18-6.

Dallas took a 28-15 lead at the end of the first on a Jazian Gortman 3-point make from Dinwiddie with 26 seconds left on the clock.

15: New York’s total first quarter points

The Mavs defended the 3-point line well to start the game as the Knicks shot blanks from beyond the arc – 0-for-8 in the first. OG Anunoby, who entered the game shooting 42% from 3-point range, went 0-for-3 in the first quarter and Brunson missed both of his attempts in the first quarter.

Dereck Lively II provided good interior defense with an early blocked shot and two seals, but he picked up two quick fouls in the game’s first seven minutes.

The first quarter on Wednesday was just the second in 69 quarters to that point in the season that New York failed to connect on a 3-pointer. The Knicks’ first 3-ball came from Mikal Bridges just 30 seconds into the second quarter to keep the Knicks within 10, down 28-18 at the time.

11-of-42 (26.2%): The Knicks’ shooting in the first half

The Mavs’ defense continued to hold the Knicks to one shot per possession. possession throughout the first half and forced New York into some suboptimal shots late in the shot clock along the way. Bridges remained the only Knick to make a 3-pointer against the Mavs in the first half. He shot 2-of-5 from deep in the first half Wednesday, while the rest of the team went a combined 0-of-11.

After holding the Knicks to just four made field goals in the first quarter, New York shot just 7-of-21 in the second. The Mavs were able to extend their 13-point lead at the end of the first to 22 points at halftime despite committing eight turnovers in the second quarter. The Knicks simply didn’t capitalize on the opportunities. The Knicks were just 4-for-14 on open shot attempts in the first half, according to ESPN’s halftime show.

The Knicks’ lack of depth was highlighted after Karl-Athony Towns went to the bench with three fouls – creating even more offensive problems for New York in the second quarter. Towns came back with a strong second half and finished with 25 points in the loss.

6: Mavericks score in double figures

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images

Lively scored eight points in the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter, including conversions on two trips to the free throw line, to get to 10 points on the night and become the sixth Maverick in double figures. That’s important because Dallas entered the game on a five-game streak with six in double figures already, something the Mavericks haven’t done since 2018. Only the other time in franchise history the Mavs have seen six double-digit scorers in six straight. game was way back in 1986.

Necessity has been the mother of this recent invention for the Mavs, as it was always going to require contributions from multiple guys to make up for the massive hole in the starting lineup that is Dončić.

17, 10: PJ Washington points and rebounds

Wednesday night’s double-double for Washington was his fourth move, something he has never done before in his NBA career. He’s been on an impressive run since his 27-point, 17-rebound performance in the Mavs’ 121-119 win at the Oklahoma City Thunder, posting five double-doubles in his last six games since then.

The Mavs have made a habit of going to Washington in the post early on offense in Dončić’s absence of late. The confidence in his game is implicit with the coaching staff at this point, even if they have no choice but to rely on his production. Lately, that confidence has been very well founded.

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