Our world needs heroes with the integrity of Martin Luther King, Jr. Let us all pay him homage today. The great ones deserve our respect.
Who didn’t deserve such reverence today? The Knicks (25*-18)! On
the day that Jalen Brunson was minted as an All-Star starter, New York embarrassed itself against the shorthanded Dallas Mavericks (18-26). On national television, no less. In the first half, the home team allowed 75 points—the most this season—and 50% three-point shooting by the league’s fourth-worst three-point shooters. After the largest halftime deficit at home in 11 years, and falling behind by 30, New York managed to cut the difference to 19 in the third quarter while Dallas caught its breath. Down 94-71, the home team fell way behind again before reducing the deficit to 15, but couldn’t get any closer. Final score, 114-97.
Read it and weep, folks.
This was the game that forces Leon Rose’s hand. Mark my words: big trade coming in the next two weeks. How could the team president look at these results and, with confidence, call this is a championship-winning club? They’ve now had two four-game losing streaks over the last 11 games, interrupted by just two wins. Friction? Yes. Disappointed? Ditto.
Cooper Flagg, dealing with an ankle issue, suited up for his first NBA game at Madison Square Garden. No doubt he’ll always remember this rout. His Mavericks defend three-pointers well; they just don’t make them. Usually. Maybe they haven’t faced such an accommodating defense before! In the first quarter, New York’s half-hearted resistance allowed Dallas to make six of their ten longball attempts and to gently waltz to the cup. Really, you couldn’t ask for more gracious hosts. Meanwhile, the Knicks were firing blanks from deep, with every starter and two bench guys whiffing—a perfect 0-for-9. After a stanky first period, the Mavs were ahead, 31-22.
Q2, same poo. Landry Shamet misfired from beyond the arc to kick things off. Then Cooper Flagg skipped to the rim, and Dallas made two of their next four triple tries. If not for that offensive powerhouse Mitchell Robinson (10 points, nine boards, and a block in his first nine minutes), New York would be completely hopeless. The boo-birds who serenaded the Knicks in the fourth quarter of the last game didn’t wait so long this evening. They got an early start with a hearty Bronx cheer as the home team fell behind by 23 midway through the quarter.
Remember, Dallas is one of the absolute worst three-point shooting teams and is missing six rotational players. Playing against a full complement of Knicks, their lead reached 30. On national television! The score was 7,500-47.5 by intermission. Already Max Christie had a career-high six three-pointers before halftime. Naji Marshall and Cooper Flagg combined for 30 points. The Mavs had made 11-of-20 from downtown.
Mike Brown must have told the team something at halftime. Maybe a pep talk, maybe a lecture, or maybe a bawdy joke. Whatever he said, it was either a) useless or b) ignored. Dallas continued to ride their horses over the Knicks early in the third frame. After falling behind by 30—again—the ‘Bockers chiseled the deficit to 19 with 3:30 remaining. Some fans held out hope that our heroes would still rally for the improbable victory. Others were less sanguine about their fate.
By the end of the fourth, the score was 94-71. Karl-Anthony Towns was mostly focused on kicking Dwight Powell in the balls, but he and the Knicks managed a run to make the differential 15 with half a quarter left. Brunson tried to exhort his cohort into looking less like zombies. And failed. They tried fouling to stop the clock, but that backfired, too. By 2:30, Coach Brown emptied the bench, the Garden seats started to empty, and the eyes of the players on the Knicks bench had never looked emptier.
Up Next
Zeno is writing a recap. Poor bastard. As for the Knicks, they will host the Nets on Wednesday. Rest up, Knickerbockers.
