The New York Knicks found their third win of the season against the Dallas Mavericks. Who stepped up?
On Friday night, the New York Knicks traveled to Texas to face the young Dallas Mavericks. Two 33-point quarters pushed them forward, along with standout nights from rookies, to win, 118-106.
So, after a 1-5 start to the season, the Knicks have won two of their last three games. It’s a positive stretch for this young team, who earns confidence with each victory, especially for it on the road, which this matchup marked their first of in 2018-19.
A win meant players stood out for New York across these 48 minutes. Whether it was offensive or defensive output, they found quality production from a handful of talent.
Who stepped up in the heart of the Lone Star State? Let’s take a look:
4. Emmanuel Mudiay
Emmanuel Mudiay finally saw the court earlier this week after missing time with a sprained ankle. There wasn’t a spot for him initially, but with Trey Burke‘s demotion to the second unit and mostly staying quiet since, head coach David Fizdale gave the fourth-year man a chance.
At this point, Mudiay won’t have scoring expectations. His first three seasons proved this after sub-40 percent shooting numbers, which contributed to his demise with the Denver Nuggets.
Fizdale seemed to realize this, with praise for Mudiay’s passing ability. There will be the occasional steal, as well, as evidenced by Friday’s game.
.@emmanuelmudiay is smooth. pic.twitter.com/oSrnQFrRpt
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 3, 2018
The Congo native followed up on his opportunity with 6 points, 4 assists and 3 steals. It came on 3-for-5 shooting, with the two misses on three-point attempts.
Maybe he finds a spot start down the line, but this was more about a claim at backup minutes. He took this, at least for one night, from Burke, in their 15-to-6 respective minutes breakdown.
Look for Mudiay to stick in the rotation for Sunday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards. It could be a game-to-game situation for him, so each showing matters towards sticking in the coaching staff’s plans as the season continues.