In front of a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks played the Dallas Mavericks tonight.
The Knicks really struggled on defense in the first half as they allowed the Mavericks to get open shots. O.J. Mayo was a very impactful player in the first half, scoring 14 points and grabbing 5 rebounds. The Mavericks led heading into the half 57-55.
In the second half the Knicks defense was strong and they were able to control the game from that point on. Allowing just 37 points in the second half, the Knicks defense proved to be key in this win. They forced 20 turnovers and kept Dallas from hitting shots in bunches. The Knicks as a team had 12 steals and really made it tough on the Mavericks to get into an offensive rhythm in the second half.
The star of the night was Carmelo Anthony who scored 31 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Anthony was very effective in getting to the basket. Despite missing five free throws, Anthony was still able to help get the team the win. It is also worth noting that Anthony did pick up his 4th foul early in the third quarter that forced him to the bench for the remaining of the quarter. Anthony was on his game tonight and really pushed the Knicks to victory.
Off the bench JR Smith was effective as he scored 22 points. Smith was very key in this win as he scored 12 points in the second half. His effort was there the entire night. His shot making was very key in this win and he made some very big shots to protect the lead.
This was the very first tight game the Knicks found themselves in and they were able to get through it. This win wasn’t easy win tonight, but the Knicks were able to get the job done with excellent defensive execution.
The Knicks are now 4-0 and are the only undefeated team in the NBA right now. The style of this team is defense and tonight they were able to make the game tough on the Mavericks in the second half. The final score was 104-94 as the Knicks defeated the Mavericks.
Image Credit: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
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