The Dallas Mavericks (35–38) came in as underdogs against the New York Knicks (45–26) at Madison Square Garden, and for good reason. Down to just nine available players and playing the second night of a back-to-back after a win in Brooklyn, Dallas appeared to be outgunned.
They didn’t get the memo in the first half, however. The game opened like a shootout, with both teams trading buckets in what felt like a layup line. Karl-Anthony Towns (24/8/7) and Naji Marshall (28 points on 13-of-15 shooting) lit up the first half, which ended tied at 68. New York clamped down in the third, riding OG Anunoby’s two-way brilliance and overwhelming ball pressure to a 30–16 quarter. They never looked back—Anunoby, Towns, and Bridges kept pouring it on in the fourth. Rookies Tyler Kolek (nine assists, no TO’s) and Kevin McCullar, Jr. (first NBA points!) put the cherry atop this win, 128-113.
In a record setting performance, Josh Hart logged his ninth triple-double of the season, breaking Walt “Clyde” Frazier’s mark. He finished with a 16/12/11 line. Not to be outdone, Towns recorded his own triple-double (26/12/11), marking the first time two Knicks had scored triple-ds in the same game.
Quoth DeuceJuice: “OG has reached another level on offense these days. I’m here for it.” Me too, brother. There were reports that Anunoby was frustrated by his lack of involvement in Toronto’s offense, and since he’s been a Knick, we have seen flashes of OG’s scoring potential. On nights like tonight, when he is possibly the league’s best 3&D wing, he’s absolutely thrilling to watch. His final line: a team-high 35 points, five rebounds, two steals, and a block while shooting 15-of-24 and 3-of-6 from deep.
For the depleted Dallas, Naji Marshall scored a career-high 38 points on 17-of-25 shooting. He roasted the Knicks, but tougher defense limited him to 10 second-half points. Off the bench, Brandon Williams added 22. Veteran Klay Thompson looked positively despondent after shooting 2-of-11 and scoring six points. It’s been a nice run, buddy.
First Half
A defensive clinic, this was not. The Knicks set the tone early, with Josh Hart drawing first blood with a layup. Karl-Anthony Towns nailed a deep three and added a driving dunk, while OG Anunoby jammed two big dunks on his way to 10 first-quarter points. The Knicks, dishing and swishing, would finish the quarter with 14 dimes and no turnovers.
By the midway through Q1, Dallas clawed back with a 12-2 run, thanks to Naji Marshall’s 12 first-quarter points and Brandon Williams’ buckets. After the score evened out, it seemed that neither team could miss their shots—and neither team endeavored to impede them. Hart and Anunoby led a late surge to give the home team a 37-35 advantage by the buzzer. The Knicks had dished 14 dimes, committed no turnovers, and made 65% of their shots, while the Mavs had hit 71%.
New York rode KAT in the second half on a 13-9 stretch. Running the point, Tyler Kolek cooked the Dallas D like barbeque chicken for a couple of nifty assists, like this one to KAT.
Meanwhile, Naji Marshall, a G-League-bred bench player who has been a major contributor for the Mavs of late, made the Knicks defense also similarly barbequed. The muscular Marshall made 13 of 15 shots in his first 19 minutes for 28 first-half points and was the only Mav in first-half double-digits.
Without Anthony Davis or Daniel Gafford, the Mavs had no answer for Towns. KAT scored 24 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists by intermission.
Fittingly, the half ended as it began, with a Hart layup—and appropriately tied at 68. The stat sheet was a mirror image, too. Each team committed just three turnovers. The Knicks had made 29 shots and 44 points in the paint; the Mavs made 28 shots and 42 paint points. New York had 21 assists and 17 rebounds; Dallas had 14 dimes and 15 boards. Our heroes’ biggest blemish? 3-of-12 shooting from deep.
(Let’s not forget that the Mavs are down to nine role players and are playing a segababa. What might the halftime score if their opponent had been the Celtics?)
Second Half
To kick off the third, New York applied better defensive pressure and scored nine unanswered points. Five of those, and a steal, came from Anunoby, helping to give the Knicks their biggest lead yet.
Spencer Dinwiddie hit a deep three for Dallas, but his team was sinking. They lost their shooting touch and coughed up the ball eight times in the frame. New York made a point of shutting down Marshall, limiting him to one made bucket, and pulled away behind splashes from Towns and Bridges. Anunoby was a defensive demon and a dunking dynamo; he had a team-high 25 points after three quarters. The home team won the frame 30-16, and they entered the final frame ahead, 98-84.
Who said OG isn’t tough?
Clyde: "OG's bleeding man look. The officials haven't seen…haven't called time"
Breen: "He wiped it pretty quickly. (OG hits 3)…It's good–OG Anunoby with 30"
Clyde: "That'll stop the bleeding" pic.twitter.com/YcEoLI7Ajf
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 26, 2025
The Knicks poured it on in the fourth, stretching their lead behind OG Anunoby’s hot shooting and relentless pressure. Anunoby splashed two threes and hammered home a dunk while Towns and Bridges kept dealing and finishing plays. New York’s lead reached 26 while the Mavs fizzled out.
Kolek was back in action to start the fourth and added to his assist total. In this and the last game, he’s combined for 17 assists and zero turnovers. Polish up the defense a bit, and Kolek has a very high upside.
The Knicks’ bench closed out the game. Promising rookie Kevin McCullar, Jr. checked in for the first time this season and scored his first NBA points. Congrats, Kev!
Up Next
The Clippers come to town tomorrow night. Should be a tougher opponent. Rest up, Knickerbockers.
Box Score