DALLAS -- Where did this Wednesday night start to go so, so wrong for the Mavericks? Considering New York’s unfathomable dominance of Dallas in recent seasons, perhaps the decisive moment was when the Knicks’ bus arrived at American Airlines Center.
Soon after tip-off, it became increasingly clear that Dallas, the NBA’s hottest team since Dec. 31, was doomed to a perhaps overdue clunker.
The rout – Knicks 107, Dallas 77 – wasn’t even as one-sided as it could have been, thanks to a Luka Doncic-led Mavericks rally that briefly cut New York’s 28-point lead to 74-60, but a dismal opening half foreshadowed the end of Dallas’ five-game winning streak.
How dismal? The Mavericks missed 22 of their first 27 field goal attempts and, somehow even worse, their first 19 3-point attempts. They finished the night 6-of-44 (13.6%).
With 4:44 left in the second quarter, the Knicks had doubled the score on Dallas, 50-25, en route to a 61-34 halftime lead.
That would be the previously 27-38 Knicks, pummeling the previously 40-25 Mavericks, winners of 11 of their last 13 games, and 24 of 31 since New Year’s Eve.
If this narrative seems familiar, it should: When these teams met Jan. 12 in Madison Square Garden, the Mavericks carried in a six-game winning streak, but got thumped 108-85.
New York now has won eight of its last meetings against Dallas, including five straight in AAC. So much for some fans’ hopes that the Mavericks’ Feb. 10 trade of Kristaps Porzingis would break the spell that Porzingis’ original employer seemed to have cast when it traded him to Dallas.
Doncic finished with 31 points, six rebounds and four assists, doing much of his damage while scoring 17 third-quarter points. Coach Jason Kidd pulled Dallas’ starters with five minutes left, but not before he was whistled for his 14th technical foul of the season – leaving him two shy of an automatic one-game suspension.
Doncic keeps saying he’s not going to let a suspension happen, but his margin for error is all but gone with 16 games remaining.
The Mavericks entered the night with hopes of completing an unbeaten four-game home stand and at least briefly tying Utah for fourth place in the West pending the Jazz’ late game at Portland.
“A lot of good things in this home stand,” Kidd said. “We can’t let one game ruin that. And we’re not.”
The Mavericks got a stinging send-off to a five-game road trip that includes games against the Celtics, Nets and 76ers.
Before Wednesday’s game, Kidd was asked about the fact forward Maxi Kleber was shooting only 30% from 3-point range in his last 10 games.
“Not everyone can shoot 40%,” Kidd said. “I don’t want everybody shooting 40% at the same time, because that means at some point, it’s gonna flip on you and we don’t need that right now.”
Kidd couldn’t have imagined it would all turn in one night. If the Mavericks are fortunate, it only will be one night.
