Max Christie poured in a season-high 26 points, Cooper Flagg impressed in his first professional appearance at Madison Square Garden, and the Dallas Mavericks overwhelmed the New York Knicks 114-97 on Monday night.
Dallas dominated early, racing out to a 30-point lead in the first half as Knicks fans voiced their displeasure with frequent boos. The loss was New York’s fourth straight and ninth in its last 11 games, despite the returns of Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart from ankle injuries.
The Mavericks, playing without several injured contributors, leaned on the players available and cruised to their third consecutive victory. Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick, finished with 18 points and seven rebounds after missing the previous two games with a sprained left ankle. Naji Marshall added 18 points for Dallas.
Karl-Anthony Towns led New York with 22 points and 18 rebounds, while Brunson also scored 22. Mitchell Robinson chipped in 12 points and 15 boards.
New York, which won the NBA Cup in December and stood at 23-9 late that month, has slid to 25-18 in Mike Brown’s first season as head coach, though the Knicks remain third in the Eastern Conference.
Dallas seized control immediately, opening the game on a 16-4 run. New York trimmed the deficit to 31-22 after one quarter despite missing all nine of its 3-point attempts. Flagg scored Dallas’ first seven points of the second quarter, igniting a 13-0 run that pushed the lead to 51-31.
After Towns scored five straight points to briefly stem the tide, he was assessed a flagrant foul for kicking Dwight Powell while attempting a shot. Marshall followed with nine consecutive points, and Christie’s 3-pointer capped a blistering stretch that made it 72-43. The Mavericks took a 75-47 lead into halftime as the Garden crowd let the Knicks hear it again.
Up next:
Dallas hosts Golden State on Thursday, while New York returns home Wednesday to face Brooklyn.
