CHICAGO -- Early in this young season, the New York Knicks own the stingiest defense in the NBA, surrendering only 91.4 points per game and allowing the opposition to shoot just 43.6 percent from the field.
But the stingy New York defense was overly generous to the Dallas Mavericks, who rattled off 65 second half points on the way to a 114-111 victory over the Knicks Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas.
O.J. Mayo and Vince Carter provided a double dose of headache for a lumbering Knicks defense that showed fatigue after playing back-to-back nights. Mayo drilled 10-of-17 field goals and ran rings around his defenders en route to 27 points. Carter, meanwhile, played with the smarts of a 14-year pro who belied his 35 years, scoring 25 points on 9-for-17 from the field.
Dallas' lineup still doesn't have forward Dirk Nowitzki, who continues to recover from a knee injury. But the Mavericks didn't miss their superstar on a night when they made 43 of 85 shots (49.4 percent) and 13 of 29 triples (44.8 percent). The Mavericks also outrebounded the Knicks, 42-37.
Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 23 points but the All-Star forward struggled with seven turnovers and was plagued with foul trouble. Anthony also flubbed a long range jumper that could have given the Knicks the go-ahead basket with 4.8 seconds left to play.
Knicks center Tyson Chandler had a terrific night on the boards, securing 13 rebounds to go along with his 21 points. Raymond Felton had 18 points and 11 assists while Jason Kidd scored 17 off the bench. Rasheed Wallace added another 11.
Despite their loss, the Knicks still maintained the best record in the Eastern Conference. But at 8-2, they only hold a narrow margin over the streaking Miami Heat who sit at 9-3 with a three-game winning binge. (Homer D. Sayson)
via Philboxing.com
No comments:
Post a Comment