Dallas Mavericks fall to New York Knicks as defense falters

The Dallas Mavericks could not stop the New York Knicks on April 16. Luka Doncic had 22 points and 19 assists as the Knicks tried to force the ball out of his hands, but the Mavs defense was not good enough on Friday night at the American Airlines Center as New York captured the 117-109 win.

It started with Dallas giving up 34 points in the first quarter as they fell behind early. The Mavericks had no answers for Julius Randle all night. The 2021 All-Star finished with 44 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists on 16 of 29 from the field including hitting six 3-pointers. Randle caught fire in his return home and handed out buckets to nearly every Maverick.

Dallas’ defense struggled on Friday night. Here is a closer look at the numbers and what the Mavs must improve if they plan on making a deep playoff run this season.

Dallas Mavericks fall to New York Knicks as defense falters

The Mavs allowed the Knicks to shoot 50.6 percent from the field at the American Airlines Center on April 16. They were led by Randle’s monster performance, but he had plenty of help. RJ Barrett had 24 points in 46 minutes of action. Derrick Rose made the Mavericks pay on multiple occasions as he repeatedly drove into the paint. The former MVP finished with 15 points on just 13 shots.

New York shot 50.0 percent from 3-point range too. They are not a team that shoots a ton of triples, but they made Dallas pay by hitting 14 on Friday night.

The Mavericks allowed the Knicks to grab nine offensive rebounds. It is the second straight game where they gave up too many extra possessions. It cost Dallas on April 16 as they could not complete the heroics they did against Memphis.

The Knicks have won five straight, but the Mavs need to play better defense if they are going to move up and avoid the play-in tournament. They did not get it done on Friday night.

Kristaps Porzingis finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds, one steal, and two blocks in 38 minutes against his former team. The Unicorn will not be happy because the Mavericks failed to grab the victory.

The Dallas Mavericks continue their homestand against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday evening. They must take care of business and get back in the win column. Expect Luka Doncic to go off as he attempts to lift the Mavs to victory. Do not miss it.