Kyrie Leads Luka-Less Mavs to Win Against Knicks, Spoils Brunson's AAC Return
DALLAS — Jalen Brunson played his first game at American Airlines Center since Game 5 of the 2022 Western Conference Finals. This time, it was as a member of the New York Knicks (22-16). With Luka Doncic sidelined due to a right ankle sprain, Kyrie Irving stepped up to lead the Dallas Mavericks (23-16) to a 128-124 victory.
Before tipoff, Brunson received a warm reception from the home crowd. Even though the Knicks went on to lose the game, the former Mavs star described hearing that reaction from fans as "really special."
"It was really fun, I'm not going to lie," Brunson said. "Regardless of the outcome, this place is special and hearing that, when I heard my name called, it was really cool. I thank them for that. It's really special."
Irving finished with 44 points, setting not only a new season high but also the most he's had as a member of the Mavs. With 10 assists added, it was just the second game of his NBA career with at least 40 points and 10 assists. Tim Hardaway Jr. provided a boost with 32 points, while Green added 18 points, both of whom made plenty of pivotal plays throughout the night.
"They were good. Kai (Kyrie Irving) has done this here of late, just setting the tone on both ends," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. "But I think offensively, [he’s] getting us off to a good start. In that first quarter, the ball was moving. There was a lot of positive energy out there on both sides, offensively and defensively. Great groove. Those are our leaders tonight; those two (Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr.) led us and put us in a position to win a tough game."
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With Doncic sidelined, Irving was aggressive, seeking scoring chances early to set the tone. Starting things off with a pair of pull-up 3s, followed by a baseline jumper, Irving was already at eight points. He set the tone early as a scorer, then began drawing double teams, setting up an opportunity to distribute as a passer. Given the size disparity between the two teams, there was a clear emphasis on playing with a fast pace, getting out on the break after missed shots and turnovers.
“When Kyrie gets going early, it opens up everything for us on the floor, and then we start playing off of him," Hardaway said. "He gives up himself when it comes down to him not having the ball. Even with Luka out there, he does a great job of screening off the ball and playing off of guys, playing off their energy. That’s how we all play when that second unit is in there; when ‘77’ takes a break, we play fast and aggressively. It’s our brand of basketball, for sure.”
While the ups and downs of the Mavs' small ball personnel are well-documented as of late, the upside was on display in the first quarter. With Irving often getting doubled, and with Grant Williams at the five, they spaced out for other players like Josh Green to break down a slower big man off the dribble while benefiting from having speed for throw-ahead passes on breakouts. Green scored 11 points in the first quarter while guarding Jalen Brunson, often picking him full-court and often denying him from being able to go left using his dominant hand.
“It was good. It felt weird. It feels like a long time ago he was here, but he’s a good guy. It’s always cool to go against a competitor like that," Green said of guarding Brunson. "I learned a lot from him when he was here, he took working out very seriously, [and he] always came back at nighttime. I was able to follow his routine and what he did. So, to be able to see the season he’s had, and last year too, obviously being a competitor going against him, I don’t want him to do that against us. But I’m really happy for him. I’m really happy for all the success he has had.”
With the Mavs coming off a letdown loss against the Memphis Grizzlies in their previous game, the team was motivated to come out and be the aggressor early against the Knicks. Green played an important role in doing so by making it a point to pick up Brunson full-court and to make it difficult for him to get where he wanted to go in the half-court.
“Going off last game too, we all came in way too soft," Green said. "We need to be the team that hits first. If we’re hitting first, it’s very hard to play against a team with Luka and Kyrie. So, it’s our job to make sure we make that hit, and we’re aggressive. We can be a physical team, and we need to continue to do that. I think coming out like that was important.
A four-point play from Tim Hardaway Jr. pushed the Mavs' scoring total to 40 points with about a minute-and-a-half remaining in the first quarter. He delivered another tough bucket, hitting a fallaway jumper deep off the 3-point line along the sideline right before the buzzer, setting up Dallas' 44-26 lead.
It set a new season-high for the highest-scoring first quarter the team has had all season. Irving had 10 points and six assists to set the tone for Dallas, while Green (11 points) and Hardaway (11 points) scored in double-figures after one period. Dallas led by as many as 20 points early in the second quarter.
"The thing is, this is who they are. This team is scoring a lot of points. They play fast, and they shoot 3s. That wasn't going to change," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. "They didn't change their style of play. When you talk about who Kyrie [Irving] is, they surround him with shooting. Like, [Tim] Hardaway Jr. had a big night. That was a problem. We have to do better."
Anunoby was often adamant about not switching off Irving throughout the game, even when the Mavs would deploy double-drag screeners to make him fight through contact numerous times. The goal was clear: make Irving work for everything he gets in the half-court. He pushed the pace to create a mismatch multiple times.
"It’s a combination of he's an elite shooter, but his ability to handle the ball in tight situations, pick-and-roll, with shiftiness, it pulls your defense," Thibodeau said. "It's a magnet. Then you have to commit to him, but you also have to fire out and cover shooters and get your body on people, so you're not giving up second shots. I thought our rebounding was pretty good for the most part, except for that one stretch. That was the game really."
The Mavs deployed small ball personnel again midway through the second quarter, with Williams playing at the five. Without Dallas not deploying a rim protector, New York aggressively attacked the paint between Randle and Brunson, getting downhill. The Knicks made it a 10-point game at one point, but Irving settled things for the Mavs, putting them back up 14 with a pull-up in mid-range.
Using a triple threat out of the corner, Irving raised for a 3-pointer, followed by Powell finishing at the rim, helping the Mavs go up by 19 about two minutes before halftime. Irving's shot creation was creative throughout the night, with the Mavs trying to work the ball to him in the post to converse energy, allowing him to have an empty corner to operate, making his catch in the corner to play out of triple-threat.
“It makes the game easier, trying to save some of the energy, conserve for the fourth quarter, which I think we did a great job of doing," Irving said. "But, yeah, it gave me the opportunities to create for myself and my teammates.”
In the closing minutes before the break, the Mavs sustained their lead and were up 74-55 at the break. Irving had totaled 18 points and seven assists to lead the group, while Hardaway reached 18 points before halftime. Dallas was highly efficient, shooting 57.8 percent from the floor and making 10 shots from deep at a 50.0 percent clip. New York was cold from the perimeter early, only shooting 22.2 percent with four makes.
Irving scored 10 of the Mavs' initial 12 points out of the break, getting to his short-range spots for jumpers, drawing fouls on drives, and a pull-up 3-pointer. However, New York managed to gain a rhythm, scoring 19 points as of the 6:25 mark to trim Dallas' lead to 88-74. Irving scored another five straight points after New York had made it a six-point game, pushing the Mavs back up by double-figures (11 points). Irving scored 38 points at the end of the period, scoring 20 of the team's 27 points to set up a 101-86 advantage.
Irving wasn't on the court to begin the fourth quarter but checked back in with 9:57 remaining in regulation. After Quintin Grimes' made 3-pointer cut the Mavs' lead to 13 points, Dallas went on a 7-2 run to go back up 111-93 with 8:42 left, forcing New York to call a timeout after Grant Williams hit a 3-pointer on the trail in transition. Irving and Hardaway kept making timely shots for Dallas as the game played out.
Brunson's euro-step finish in transition cut the Mavs' lead to 10 points with under four minutes remaining in regulation, then a putback from Isaiah Hartenstein in transition made it an eight-point game. New York heated up from beyond the arc, with a make from Brunson, followed by an and-one drive, then it became a one-point game (121-120) after DiVincenzo converted on a 3-pointer.
Irving found Green for a 3-pointer to answer, putting Dallas up by four with 25.9 seconds left to play, following a series of three total offensive rebounds after missed shots to create the possession. After the Knicks put the Mavs in real danger, Green delivered in a pivotal moment, not hesitating to let it fly from the perimeter.
“To come up with the three offensive rebounds at that point was huge,” Kidd said. “And then for Josh to get another shot at it. There was no hesitation when the ball found him.”
After getting a defensive stop, Irving was intentionally fouled in the bonus — he made both free throws. Hardaway made two free throws after being sent to the line following a floater from Brunson, sealing the victory. Along the way, Hardaway shared a moment with his former teammate Brunson, with the Knicks star pushing him.
“Game’s over, man. It was always great," Hardaway said. "We hadn’t played against Jalen [Brunson] here. I think the last time he was here, he was hurt, so it was great just to play against one of your good friends and see him out there on the floor and see what he’s done for himself since after playing for the Mavs. It was great just to be able to be out there on the court with him.”
Dallas played without Doncic sidelined and had Dereck Lively II (left ankle sprain), Maxi Kleber (right small toe dislocation), and Dante Exum (right plantar sprain) sidelined. New York remained without Mitchell Robinson as he remains out long-term after undergoing left ankle surgery.
The Mavs continue a seven-game homestand with two matchups against the New Orleans Pelicans in a two-game mini-series beginning on Saturday.
