Mavericks Hold On To Beat Knicks 99-89

A win is a win, right? Not quite so simple according to Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson who was down right ticked off at his team after defeating the New York Knicks Monday 99-89. The reason he was so anguished was that the Mavericks allowed New York to climb back into the game, as they reduced a 23 point Dallas lead down to just 7 points. I can certainly understand Johnson’s point, the mark of a champion is when you have your opponent down on the floor, you step on their jugular vein, and go in for the kill. Let’s also remember the way Dallas ended last season, walking off the floor into the Summer with their tail between their legs. Dallas who were thought of as the favorite to win their first NBA title going into the Post Season, were eliminated in the first round by the Golden State Warriors. Johnson does not want to see his team developing bad habits, and I commend him for that. He is a fiery individual, he was as a player and as a coach. Having interviewed many times over the years, I can tell you he is also a class act. But Coach, calm down, if you get this upset after a win you are liable to stroke out after a loss.

New York was without starting point guard Stephon Marbury, who had received permission from coach Isiah Thomas to take the night off. Marbury’s father was buried last Thursday, and although Marbury, played Friday and Saturday night’s games, he needed more time to help him get through the grieving process. The “Boo Birds” came out early at MSG, as Dallas led at the end of the first quarter 28-19, and had increased their lead to 49-36 by the end of the half. At the end of the third quarter Dallas led 79-63, but the Knicks rallied in the last quarter to make it a game again.

Dallas was led by forward Dirk Nowitzki who shot 14-23 from the floor, 3-5 from outside the arc, and 5-7 from the line for a game high 36 points. Nowitzki also had 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in the game. Josh Howard scored 22 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocked shots, and “Old Reliable” Jerry Stackhouse scored 13 points coming off the bench, with 4 assists. The Mavericks shot 53.7% for the game hitting, 36-67 shots.

The Knicks were paced by Zack Randolph who had a double-double 24 points, and a game high 11 rebounds, 1 steal. Jamal Crawford scored 19 points, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 rebound, and Fred Jones, starting at the point scored 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and only 1 turnover playing over 40 minutes in the loss. Dallas with the win now has a record of 14-8 while New York is now 6-14.