At a Glance
- Max Christie dropped a season-high 26 points as Dallas routed New York 114-97
- No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg scored 18 in his Madison Square Garden debut after missing two games with a sprained ankle
- Knicks fans booed their team repeatedly as Dallas built a 30-point first-half lead
- Why it matters: The loss extends New York’s slump to 4-9 since December’s end, dropping them to third in the East
Dallas sent its short-handed roster into Madison Square Garden and still embarrassed the Knicks, riding Max Christie’s hot hand and Cooper Flagg’s return to a 114-97 blowout Monday night.
Christie’s Career Night
Christie, starting in place of the injured Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, buried shot after shot on his way to a personal-best 26 points. The 21-year-old guard hit from every level, punishing switches and knocking down open looks as the Mavericks shot 52 percent from the floor.
Flagg, back after a two-game absence, looked right at home on basketball’s most famous stage. The 6-foot-9 forward scored 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, grabbed seven boards and blocked a pair of shots, flashing the all-around game that made him the top pick.
First-Half Rout
Dallas opened on a 16-4 burst and never looked back. The Mavericks held the Knicks without a made three in the first quarter, building a 31-22 edge that felt larger.
Flagg took over early in the second, scoring the team’s first seven points of the period. A 13-0 run ballooned the lead to 20, and when Naji Marshall followed with nine straight of his own, the cushion reached 30 points at 75-45.
Knicks fans responded with loud, sustained boos that echoed through the Garden as the home team trudged to the locker room down 75-47.
New York’s Struggles
Despite getting Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart back from ankle injuries, the Knicks looked out of sync. They finished 6-of-32 from deep and committed 17 turnovers that Dallas turned into 24 points.
Karl-Anthony Towns posted 22 points and 18 rebounds, and Brunson added 22, but the duo combined for eight of New York’s giveaways. Mitchell Robinson chipped in 12 points and 15 boards off the bench, yet no other Knick reached double figures.
Missed Opportunities
New York had chances to claw back. Towns trimmed the deficit to 51-36 with five straight points, but on the next possession he was whistled for a flagrant foul for kicking Dwight Powell in the groin while shooting. The swing kept momentum firmly with Dallas.
The Knicks never cut the lead below 15 in the second half, and coach Mike Brown emptied his bench midway through the fourth.
Mavericks’ Resilience
Dallas entered the night without Dončić (calf), Irving (back), Daniel Gafford (shoulder), Dereck Lively II (ankle) and Derrick Jones Jr. (personal). Yet the patchwork lineup has now won three straight, beating Utah twice before Monday’s statement victory.
Marshall finished with 18 points and five assists, while Dwight Powell added 10 rebounds. The Mavericks out-rebounded the Knicks 52-46 and out-scored them 52-38 in the paint.
Knicks’ Free Fall
Just three weeks after winning the NBA Cup and sitting at 23-9, the Knicks have lost nine of 11 and fallen to 25-18. Once atop the Eastern Conference, they entered Monday in third place, two games behind idle Cleveland.
The schedule offers little relief: New York hosts Brooklyn on Wednesday, then embarks on a four-game West Coast swing that includes dates with Denver, the Lakers, Phoenix and Golden State.
Looking Ahead
Dallas returns home to face Golden State on Thursday, hoping to keep the streak alive as it awaits the return of its stars. The Mavericks improved to 22-19, good for seventh in the West.
For the Knicks, the focus shifts to regaining the defensive identity that fueled their hot start. They surrendered 75 first-half points Monday, their worst defensive half of the season.
Key Takeaways
- Christie’s breakout shows Dallas has young talent ready when healthy veterans return
- Flagg’s immediate impact in his Garden debut reinforces why he went No. 1
- New York’s once-stout defense has collapsed, allowing 117 points per game during the 4-9 skid
- The Knicks’ next five opponents own a combined .610 winning percentage, meaning the slide could deepen
