The Dallas Maverick won their third straight game in blowout fashion Monday afternoon in New York, dominating the Knicks 114-97.
Dallas made was hot from three yet again, getting out and punishing a lackadaisical Knicks team that didn’t seem all that interested in playing this game. As we’ve seen from this Mavericks team time and again, if you’re unprepared or not ready to play, Dallas will jump on you, despite their poor record.
The Mavericks were led by a game-high 26 points from Max Christie, while Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored 22 points for the Knicks.
Let’s get to the numbers.
3: Consecutive first-halves the Mavericks scored 70 or more points
The Mavericks are currently the 27th ranked offense in the NBA, according to Cleaning the Glass. They entered this matchup making just 34 percent of their threes, a bottom-third of the league number. Even at full-strength (well, what counts for full-strength for this Dallas squad), this Mavericks team hasn’t scored the ball well most of this season. Now they look like the Showtime Lakers.
It’s very funny and strange that Dallas has gone on this heater at perhaps the most shorthanded this roster has been all season — Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and PJ Washington are out, Cooper Flagg missed both Jazz games, and that’s not even counting Dereck Lively and Kyrie Irving, one who is out for the season, and the other who hasn’t played a single game yet. This ragtag group of two-way rookies and undrafted free agents (along with a few obviously key veterans) have propelled Dallas to score 70 points or more in the first half of each of the last three games.
Just a remarkable streak for a team that couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat. Who knows how long it can last, but it’s fun to watch.
15: Points scored by Moussa Cisse
A career night for the Mavericks talented two-way big man, Moussa Cisse did what’s he’s done all season when given time: plays his ass off, run the floor hard, rebound, and block shots. Cisse added the cherry on top by finishing lobs and dump-off passes, scoring a career-high 15 points while also grabbing nine rebounds and blocking four shots.
Cisse clearly has something, yet he’s still very raw. He fouls a lot, which makes it hard for him to stay on the floor, but he’s improving — the Knicks game signaled the third-straight 20-plus minute night from Cisse, the first time he’s played 20 minutes or more in three straight games all season. The Mavericks should do what they can to free up room to sign Cisse to a full contract, so he can get as much time on the floor as possible before the season ends.
32: Mavericks fastbreak points
Dallas literally ran New York off the floor in this one, outscoring the Knicks in transition 32-6. It was a stark contrast — the Mavericks looked like they were consistently two or even three steps ahead of a plodding Knicks team.
The Mavericks pushed at every opportunity they got, and funny enough a lot of those transition buckets were threes. Dallas scored only 44 points in the paint in this one, and while Dallas certainly had a decent amount of layups and dunks on the break, they were able to push ahead and get the Knicks scrambling while Max Christie and Klay Thompson sprinted to the line. Despite being a road game and a unique start time, the Mavericks never looked sluggish. Kudos to them.
