The Defense
This may not be an individual player, but holy heaven, the New York Knicks actually played four quarters of defense. After allowing each of the first nine opponents to score at least 100 points, New York smothered the Dallas Mavericks’ offensive attack.
It wasn’t the prettiest of performances by the Knicks’ offense, but the defense held Dallas to shooting marks of .386/.179/.727.
New York entered the battle with Dallas having allowed five teams to score at least 110 points and four to reach 115. It’d held just one team below 100 points: the Brooklyn Nets during a 110-96 home victory.
Against the Mavericks, Jeff Hornacek got four quarters of genuinely elite defense from his team—a refreshing turn of events.
New York held Dallas to 23 points in the first quarter and clamped down by holding the Mavericks to 16 points in the second. The Knicks then outscored the Mavs 31-12 in the third quarter and held their own when it mattered in the fourth.
Dallas may have been without starting power forward Dirk Nowitzki, but this was an absolutely vital performance by the Knicks’ defense.
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Here’s hoping the New York Knicks can maintain the momentum achieved during the 93-77 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.