NEW YORK – Not even a career game from Naji Marshall could prevent the New York Knicks from having their way — in the second half —
with the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
Marshall tallied a career-high 38 points on 17-of-25 shooting. But the Knicks countered with triple-doubles from Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart as they seized control in the second half and defeated the Mavs, 128-113, at Madison Square Garden.
With the loss, the Mavs dropped to 35-38 entering Thursday’s game in Orlando, while the Knicks improved to 45-26.
Towns finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, and Hart collected 16 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Also, OG Anunoby poured in a team-high 35 points as the Knicks’ trio made life difficult for the Mavs.
“It was difficult because you’re focused on Towns, and when he posts up he causes a problem,” coach Jason Kidd said. “OG is one who can put it on the floor.
“But when they get in transition and they’re getting layups or early threes, they capitalize on that. That puts a lot of pressure on our offense, and we just couldn’t keep that pace up tonight.”
The Mavs and Knicks were tied at 68 at the half, with Marshall firing in 28 points at that stage of the game on 13-of-15 shots. But the Knicks opened the second half 
on a 17-5 run and bolted ahead, 85-73, before the Mavs – who beat Brooklyn on Monday — could get their second wind.
The Knicks kept on attacking, forcing turnovers and getting easy opportunities at the rim until their lead swelled to 26 points in the fourth quarter.
“I think the Knicks are a good team and I think OG played well, obviously,” guard Spencer Dinwiddie said. “We struggled guarding KAT as well. And probably a little fatigue – just being honest, short-handed, back-to-back.
“No excuses. We got to come out and fight. But I’ll call a spade a spade, too.”
The Knicks outscored the Mavs, 30-16, in the third quarter when the Mavs were just 4-of-18 from the field while New York drilled 11 of their 21 shots.
“We just got off to a slow there in that third quarter and that’s where it got away from us,” Kidd said. “But Naji was great. He kept us in there in the first half.”
In analyzing his performance, Marshall said he’s just been “staying in the gym and just being aggressive and getting what the defense 
gives me.
“Shout out to them. They’re a great team and they came out and put their foot down in the third quarter and kind of went on a run and it was hard to shake back from that.”
It was especially hard considering the manpower shortage that again hampered the Mavs, who were without Anthony Davis (left adductor strain), P.J. Washington (left ankle sprain), Kyrie Irving (torn left ACL), Daniel Gafford (right knee sprain), Dereck Lively II (right ankle stress fracture), Olivier-Maxence Prosper (right wrist sprain), Dante Exum (left hand fracture) and Caleb Martin (right hip strain). In dressing just nine players, the Mavs looked like they ran out of gas in the second half as they couldn’t keep up with Towns, Hart and Anunoby.
“He’s one of the best out there,” Kidd said, in reference to Towns. “He can stretch the floor, he can put it on the floor, and then his passing.
“He was finding cutters tonight and that put us in a bad way where we’re trying to pay attention to him, but he’s finding his teammates tonight and that made the game easy for him.”
The same could b
e said about Hart, who was 6-of-9 from the floor.
“Hart is like the utility (player) for that team,” said Dinwiddie, who finished with 13 points and seven assists. “He does a little bit of everything.
“(He got) a bunch of rebounds and hustle plays – all that stuff as well as being a better passer than people give him credit for. So, not surprising.”
Brandon Williams (22 points on 7-of-11 shots) and Jaden Hardy (15 points on 7-of-9 shots) gave the Mavs 
a huge lift off the bench. But on this night it wasn’t enough.
“(Williams) was good,” Kidd said. “Again, (he was) attacking, getting in the paint and being able to finish and make plays for his teammates.
“I think with his pace, being able to get downhill, he was really good tonight in that first half.”
The Mavs wound up shooting 53.8 percent from the field to 59.6 percent for the Knicks. But that third quarter was like someone dropped a ton of bricks on the Mavs’ shoulders.
“We just got off to a slow start there in that third quarter and that’s where it got away from us,” Kidd said. “The guys fought on a back-to-back. It’s tied at halftime and it’s anybody’s game.
“Give the Knicks credit. They took control of it. We just had some turnovers, some missed shots and they capitalized on the other end.”
X: @DwainPrice
Share and comment