NEW YORK KNICKS (27-38) at MAVERICKS (40-25)
Time: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Place: American Airlines Center, Dallas.
TV: Bally Sports Southwest
Radio: The Eagle 97.1 FM; Univision Zona MX 99.1 FM (Spanish)
About the Knicks: After going 41-31 and reaching the first round of the playoffs last season, they have been a considerable disappointment in 2021-22, languishing in 12th spot in the Eastern Conference with only a small chance of making up the 4½-game deficit on 10th place Atlanta to get into the play-in tournament . . . Oddly, even though the Knicks have been mediocre in recent seasons, they have won their last four visits to American Airlines Center . . . The road team has won seven of the last nine meetings . . . Despite their overall woes, the Knicks are coming off one of their most impressive wins of the season, 131-115 at Sacramento on Monday. In that game, Julius Randle (46 points), RJ Barrett (29) and Immanuel Quickley (27) combined for 102 of their points. It leveled their record at 2-2 on their seven-game trip that goes coast-to-coast-to coast. After starting at Philadelphia, they have played at Phoenix, the LA Clippers and Sacramento before visiting AAC. They finish the trip at Memphis and Brooklyn, which is only across town for them but still is a road game . . . The Knicks are an OK defensive team, as you would expect under coach Tom Thibodeau. But they have major problems scoring. They are 24th in overall offensive rating and 27th in shooting (43.5 percent) and scoring (105.4 points) . . . They do have a standout in Randle, the Plano product who is averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds . . . They had hoped that signing point guard Kemba Walker would pay dividends, but he has missed large patches of games with injuries and has not played on the current road trip.
About the Mavericks: They will be looking to finish off a sweep of their four-game home stand after whipping Utah on Monday, 111-103, and beating Sacramento and Golden State last week . . . They also are looking for a little payback for the 118-95 crusher they suffered in New York in January. It was one of the Mavericks’ worst overall game of the season. They shot just 21.6 percent from 3-point range and 41 percent overall. They were outrebounded 54-39. It was one of just four games this season the Mavericks have lost by 20 or more points . . . New York, by the way, has gone 6-17 since that game . . . Luka Dončić was given a night to rest aches and pains on Saturday, but returned on Monday looking refreshed with 35 points and 16 rebounds (to go with seven assists) in the crucial win over Utah, which tightened the standings in the race for a home-court playoff spot in the Western Conference . . . In the two games he’s played on this home stand, Dončić has averaged 38 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists while hitting 9-of-21 3-pointers (42.9 percent) . . . This is the Mavericks’ last home game of the season against an Eastern Conference opponent. So far, they are 11-10 against East competition, including 9-5 at AAC . . . This also is the last home game until March 21. The upcoming five-game trip goes to Houston, Boston, Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Charlotte . . . Only three of their last 17 games (Philaelphia, Utah, Milwaukee) are against teams in the top four of either conference . . . They are hoping to get Jalen Brunson (right foot) and Frank Ntilikina (non-COVID-19 illness) back after both missed Monday’s game. Marquese Chriss (right knee soreness) remains questionable.
Twitter: @ESefko
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