Dallas Mavericks overwhelmed the New York Knicks early and never let the game tighten, rolling to a 114-97 victory Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
Max Christie delivered a season-high 26 points, powering a Dallas group that entered the night depleted but played with pace, spacing, and control from the opening tip.
The visitors opened on a 16-4 run and led wire-to-wire, pushing the margin to 30 in the first half as the Garden crowd voiced its displeasure during a lopsided opening 24 minutes.
Rookie Cooper Flagg added 18 points in his first professional appearance at MSG, scoring the Mavericks’ first seven points of the second quarter to ignite a decisive surge.
Dallas built separation with a 13-0 run early in the period, stretching the lead to 51-31 before the Knicks could stabilize.
Naji Marshall chipped in 18 points and later poured in nine straight during the second quarter, a stretch that ballooned the advantage to 72-43.
Christie capped the half with a three that made it a 30-point game, sending New York to the locker room down 75-47 amid loud boos.
The Mavericks shot 49 percent from the field and 47 percent from three, knocking down 15 triples and consistently punishing late rotations.
Dallas also controlled the glass 49-53 overall but generated cleaner looks through drive-and-kick action and early offense, producing 25 assists on 40 made baskets.
New York, meanwhile, struggled to find rhythm, finishing 9-of-31 from beyond the arc and committing key turnovers during Dallas scoring runs.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 22 points and 18 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson matched him with 22 in his return from an ankle injury.
Mitchell Robinson provided 12 points and 15 rebounds off the bench, but the hosts never closed the gap to single digits after halftime.
The loss marked New York’s fourth straight defeat and ninth in 11 games, a sharp reversal after a strong start that included an NBA Cup title in December.
Dallas earned its third consecutive win despite missing multiple regulars, relying on perimeter shot-making and defensive activity to dictate terms throughout.
The Mavericks improved to 18-26 and will host Golden State on Thursday, while the Knicks, now 25-18, continue their homestand Wednesday against Brooklyn.
