Balanced Mavericks Attack Enough to Take Down Knicks
By: John Read

On a night in which Dirk Nowitzki struggled offensively (3-13 FGs), his Mavericks teammates were forced to carry the load as they defeated the New York Knicks 99-94 Thursday night at the American Airlines Center.

For only the third time this season, six Mavericks finished the night scoring in double figures. Led by Josh Howard’s 19 points and three assists, the Mavericks managed to knock off the high-flying New York Knicks for the second time this season.

In a scene which has become all too familiar, Dallas was forced to once again come from behind in the second half of a home ballgame. While it wasn’t quite as dramatic as the 29-point comeback seen just last week versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Mavs were forced to scrape and fight for every point after trailing by as many as eight midway though the third quarter.

No matter the Mavericks need to once again play from behind, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle appeared happy to simply escape with a win.

“Many of our games have been one-possession games all the way through crunch time,” Carlisle said. “This was a great win for us. The Knicks are a very persistent team and we were fortunate to come away with a win.”

While Nowitzki was left to ponder his 10 point and seven rebound effort, Howard and Jason Terry took control, as each scored critical baskets down the stretch.

With 2:00 left in regulation and the Mavericks ahead by a slim 93-91 margin, Howard sliced from the top of the key all the way to the rim as he carefully guided home an errant Brandon Bass jump shot. With the game still in question, Howard’s put-back basket put the Mavericks ahead by four and instantly shifted all of the pressure back to New York.

Just two possessions later, Terry would solidify a Mavericks victory. Much to the delight of a sellout crowd at the American Airlines Center, Terry put the Mavericks ahead by five as he drilled a 20-foot jump shot from the right side of the key.

After two games in which Jason Kidd struggled offensively, he was instrumental in the win. Kidd finished with 16 points and four 3-point field goals, all of which seemed to occur at critical junctures in the game.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Kidd discussed the Mavericks’ recent success in holding teams down the stretch.

“This is a veteran ball club and we know what it takes to win,” Kidd explained. “Early in the season we just couldn’t finish the games.  Now we have learned from that and have done a better job of knowing what it takes to win games down the stretch.”

New York’s Chris Duhon was exceptional in the first half. In just over 18 minutes, he shot a perfect 9-of-9 from the field including an unblemished 4-of-4 from behind the 3-point arc. Duhon’s 22 first half points carried the Knicks to a 59-54 advantage after two quarters of play.

Tomorrow night, the Mavericks are back in action as they head west to challenge Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns in the first of a three-game Western Conference road trip. After stops in Sacramento and Denver, the Mavericks will return to Big D on Wednesday, January 14th when they host New Orleans.

Individual game tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling 214-747-MAVS or by visiting MAVS.com.