Happy Martin Luther King Jr Day, everybody. On a day when we remember a great man–and we wonder if we’ll ever see another–a Knicks (25*-17) team that’s been less than great of late will try to leverage home-court advantage and snap a three-game losing streak.
Their opponent, the Dallas Mavericks (17-26), are flopping around near the bottom of the Western Conference barrel. After flipping Luka Dončić to the Lakers last February, Dallas defied the odds and won the draft lottery. Their number one pick,
the phenom Cooper Flagg, is their new centerpiece. Pairing him with veterans Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and D’Angelo Russell has brought uneven results, however. Injuries, road struggles, and front-office turnover have undercut consistency. Even with Flagg making a strong case for Rookie of the Year, Dallas remains well outside the playoff picture.
When they met on November 19, the Knicks slipped by the Mavs 113-111 in Dallas. Jalen Brunson scored 28 points in his return from an ankle injury. Despite poor free-throw shooting (19-of-35) and early three-point struggles, New York sealed the win when Landry Shamet hit two late triples and drew a crucial charging foul in the final seconds. The Mavericks, missing Flagg due to illness, got 23 points each from bench players D’Angelo Russell and Naji Marshall, but couldn’t overcome their starters’ limited output in a game.
Coach Jason Kidd has the Mavs playing solid defense, but their offense ranks among the worst in the league. They are one of the NBA’s worst shooting teams from downtown, which means that they’ll sizzle beyond the arc against the Knicks. Dallas will be shorthanded, with multiple rotation players sidelined. Daniel Gafford (ankle), D’Angelo Russell (illness), and P.J. Washington (personal) are all out, while Anthony Davis remains out indefinitely with a finger thing. Flagg is listed as a game-time decision with a bum ankle.
Prediction
ESPN.com favors the Knicks by 76%. Yeah, we hope. They have stumbled through a rough January, culminating in Saturday’s morale-busting loss to Phoenix. Jalen Brunson’s ankle issue and Josh Hart’s nagging injuries have compounded the team’s inconsistency, as have up-and-down performances by Karl-Anthony Towns and the other starters. A win today would bail a few buckets of water out of what has felt like a sinking ship. Let’s make it so. Knicks by eight.
Game Details
Date: Monday, January 19, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM ET
Place: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC
TV: NBC
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.
