Inside Report: Knicks-Mavericks preview — Mavs welcome 'Melo, S.T.A.T., Knicks to Big D

Earl K. Sneed previews the Mavericks' nationally-televised showdown with the New York Knicks, as the Dallas team tries to shake off Wednesday night's last-second loss.

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks plan to address their recent rash of one-point losses, and there’s no better time to do so than on a national stage Thursday night against the star-studded New York Knicks, as the Mavs look to end a stretch of four games in five nights with a win on their home floor.

Just three defeats — all by a single point — stand in the way of a historic run for the Mavericks, including Wednesday night’s 93-92 loss in New Orleans against a Hornets team minus All-Star point guard Chris Paul. If not for the three last-second demises, the Mavs wouldn’t have a blemish on their schedule in their last 22 games. But that’s not the case, because the Mavericks (46-18) admit that their end-of-game execution has not been where it needs to be with the playoffs approaching.

The Mavs will try to change their luck with All-Star forwards Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and the Knicks (34-29) in town to be feasted on.

“We’ve just got to keep on plugging and we’ll see what happens next time,” Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said. “The last three weeks or whatever we’ve lost three games, all of them by one point, so that really stinks. But hey, I guess we did a nice job in the other 19 of closing out and winning, so sometimes you’re just gonna get the short end of the stick … They’re tough, they sting, but you just can’t win them all in this league.”

Meanwhile, the balance of star power in the NBA may be shifting from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference, but that’s just fine by the Mavericks.

Both Deron Williams and Anthony were moved just before the trade deadline last month, sending two former All-Stars from the West to the East and weakening the talent pool the Mavericks may have to fight their way through when the postseason comes.

And for the first time since Anthony was dealt in a three-team trade between New York, Denver and Minnesota, the Mavs will get to see the lethal scoring threat with his new teammates on a Knicks squad that already included Stoudemire, an early-season MVP candidate.

“It just looks like the power has maybe switched with the star power going east right now,” point guard Jason Kidd said when asked about the recent player migration to the East Coast. “But, you know, you’ve still got some quality teams in the West that can hopefully try and win a championship.”

Throw the Mavericks into that mix after the 12-player transaction also worked out in their favor, with swingman Corey Brewer coming to the Knicks from Minnesota in the deal and eventually working out a buyout before signing in Dallas. Meanwhile, Anthony was accompanied from Denver by point guard Chauncey Billups, bolstering the Knicks’ lineup with a Big Three of their own to match up with the likes of Boston, Miami, Orlando and Chicago in the East.

Billups has missed five straight games with a left quad injury, and his status for the game remains uncertain. And the last time the Mavericks saw Anthony, he was busy scoring 42 points before fouling out of Denver’s last-second 121-120 win on Feb. 10 — one of the three losses for the Mavs decided in the final seconds. Anthony enters Thursday night’s contest fresh off a 31-point effort in Memphis, including the game-winning jumper with .5 seconds remaining as the Knicks handed the Grizzlies a 110-108 home loss.

Still, it’s Stoudemire that Carlisle first credited for the renewed enthusiasm surrounding the Knicks’ franchise this season.

“They’re a completely different team now and Stoudemire has changed so much for them. They’re vastly different,” Carlisle said when his team left Madison Square Garden with a 113-97 win on Feb. 2.

In the first meeting between the two teams, Stoudemire scored all 21 of his points in the first half, before center Tyson Chandler led a defensive stand against the former high school standout. But Carlisle knows that it won’t be easy quieting the big man a second time, especially with Anthony to contend with on the perimeter.

“[Stoudemire] ripped us up in the first half and we did some things better in the second half,” the coach explained when breaking down the first meeting between the teams. “We had more help there and Tyson adjusted to some of the things he was doing. But look, he’s a great player and a legitimate MVP candidate. I mean, there’s no doubt about that. So, when he has a bad quarter, some of it is him just not getting the ball in the basket.”

The Mavericks will rely on Chandler on the defensive end of the floor yet again, after the 7-foot-1 center returned from a three-game absence with a sprained right ankle Wednesday night to score 16 points and grab 13 rebounds for his 17th double-double of the season, albeit in a loss.

“I felt good out there. I was moving around pretty well,” Chandler said of his return. “At first, obviously, when you go out there you’re a little hesitant. But I moved around, felt good and I was able to get in the flow of the game.”

But the Mavs now have other injuries to be concerned about, after sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic missed Wednesday night’s matchup with a stiff neck. The Mavericks would then lose Stojakovic’s replacement in the starting lineup, four-time All-Star Shawn Marion, after a flagrant foul by New Orleans’ Marco Belinelli caused the versatile forward to suffer sore left ribs.

While X-rays on Marion’s rib cage came back negative, his status along with Stojakovic’s remains up in the air, likely forcing Carlisle to call on reserves Brian Cardinal, DeShawn Stevenson and Brewer to play big minutes.

“We’ve got a bunch of other guys that will be ready and that’s been kinda the story of our team all year. If one guy is out, one guy gets hurt, others have gotta be ready to step up,” Carlisle said.

And for the Mavericks to make a stand at home against Anthony and Stoudemire, every Maverick on the active roster just may be asked to not only step up but to also step in and perform at a high level.

Note: The Mavs will be back in action Saturday night, hosting Kobe Bryant and the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Dallas team will try to move to 2-0 against the perennial Western Conference power in a game that will tip off at 8 p.m. CT, airing nationally on NBA TV and locally on Fox Sports Southwest.

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