Mavs vs. Knicks Preview: Dallas Seeks 4-Game Win Streak; Jalen Brunson OUT
Riding a three-game win streak and a satisfying 124-115 Christmas Day victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks look to keep things rolling at American Airlines Center on Tuesday night as they take on the New York Knicks for the second time this season.
Luka Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr. dismantled the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 3, 121-100. The duo combined for 58 points on 12-22 shooting from deep. Coincidentally, Doncic and Hardaway are coming off a game against the Lakers where they combined for that exact amount ... 58 points.
Former Maverick point guard Jalen Brunson, who left Dallas in free agency over the offseason, was held to just 13 points on 5-11 shooting and a team-worst -26 in that one. Brunson is OUT his Dallas homecoming due to a hip injury he suffered in the Knicks' loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
Christian Wood didn't play in the Mavs' first matchup with the Knicks due to a non-Covid illness, but he'll be ready to go this time around. Wood is coming off his best two-way game of the season – and arguably his career – as he put up 30 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, four steals and two blocks against the Lakers.
The Mavs are 3-1 with Wood starting at center next to Doncic. If this kind of production continues, and the Mavs keep winning games heading into the new year, it's going to be harder for the Dallas front office to keep from offering Wood a contract extension.
After the Knicks' lost to the Mavs on Dec. 3, they rattled off eight consecutive wins before enduring their current three-game losing streak. The Mavs are 13-5 at AAC this season, so it won't be easy for the Knicks to snap their losing skid. However, New York is surprisingly better on the road (10-6) than they are at MSG (8-10), so we'll see how things unfold.
Although Brunson isn’t playing, Doncic and the rest of the crew will be happy to see him regardless.
“It’s going to be great,” said Doncic. “JB is our guy. It’s going to be fun and great to see him again.”
In addition to Josh Green (elbow sprain), Dorian Finney-Smith (adductor strain) and Maxi Kleber (hamstring tear) all being out, Frank Ntilikina (knee soreness) and Kemba Walker (knee injury recovery) are questionable as well.
FUN FACT: Dallas hit 24 3-pointers in their win over New York nearly a month ago, which was the third-most ever posted by an opposing team in MSG history. The injury-riddled Mavs would love nothing more than to be able to have a similar shooting performance in front of their home crowd on Tuesday night.
RECORDS: Dallas Mavericks (18-16), New York Knicks (18-16)
WHEN: Tuesday, December 27, 2022 – 7:30 p.m. CT
WHERE: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
TV: NBA TV, Bally Sports Southwest
RADIO: 97.1 The Freak, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)
ODDS: The Mavs are 5.0-point favorites over the Knicks
NEXT UP: Dallas finishes up its three-game homestand against the Houston Rockets, the team Doncic dropped 50 points on last Friday. The Mavs will then finish the calendar year by making the short trip to San Antonio to take on the Spurs. This part of the schedule is a perfect time for the Mavs to pad their record before things heat up again in January.
MAVS STEP BACK: Catch up on the latest post-Christmas episode of the Mavs Step Back Podcast. Enjoy a recap of Mavs-Lakers and a handful of trade speculation, including the latest betting odds linking Dallas to Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young.
FINAL WORD: “I don’t think it was adjustments, I think it was just making the right play," said Doncic of the Mavs' second-half surge against the Lakers on Christmas Day. "I think we didn’t make shots in the first half. We just kept making the right play and we had open shots and open layups. The important thing was getting some stops.”
Doncic and the Mavs hope to keep their momentum going by getting some more of those stops against Brunson and the Knicks. They certainly did so the last time these two teams met up.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Mavericks? Click Here.
