Attempting to recover from their loss against the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks looked to defeat the Dallas Mavericks at home. To their dismay, the Mavericks came in fighting, with four of their five starters scoring in double figures. The Knicks fell to the Mavericks 104-97.
Dirk Nowitzki led his team with 25 points and 6 rebounds. In typical Nowitzki fashion, he did so with great efficiency, knocking down half of his shots (9 of 18). The 37-year-old future Hall of Famer has been spectacular this year, playing at a high level despite his age.
Nowitzki was not the only Maverick that scored 20+ points, as Deron Williams also tallied 20. Along with his points, Williams also contributed with seven assists. Williams, who was signed by the Mavericks this off-season, has been a great fit in Dallas. Whether it is the winning or new setting, he has looked revitalized.
Kristaps Porzingis was a bright spot for the New York Knicks, scoring a game-high 28 points with an impressive 13 of 18 shooting. Although he did not post great numbers on the rebounds and assists column, only grabbing two and passing one, he provided a late game surge in the 4th quarter. The rookie made big three-pointers late in the fourth, reducing the Knicks' deficit to only four. However, after blocking Deron Williams, the Knicks were called for an offensive foul that swung the pendulum, favoring the Mavericks.
In his early career, Porzingis has received many comparisons to Nowitzki because of his foreign origins, shooting stroke, and height. It was a pleasant sight to see the Latvian rookie and the German veteran compete. The rookie has been stringing together many impressive performances, which resulted in his recognition as the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month.
Carmelo Anthony was the next highest scoring Knick, with 17 points on 6 of 18 shooting. The New York superstar stuffed the stat sheet, adding eight assists and six rebounds to his effort.
Raymond Felton and Jose Calderon both battled their former clubs today. Felton was all over the floor against his old team, scoring 14 points in addition to five rebounds and five assists. Opposite of him was Jose Calderon, who also had an impressive performance against the Dallas Mavericks. Calderon finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
The New York Knicks will look to bounce back on the road against Gordon Hayward and the Utah Jazz. The Jazz are coming off an overtime victory against the Indiana Pacers and will look to begin a streak against the Knicks. Gordon Hayward has strung together three consecutive 20+ point games so the Knicks will be looking to contain him.
Now having fallen to a 10-12 record, the Knicks will look for a win on the road to continue competing with the surprisingly grueling Eastern Conference.