Max Christie's career-night shooting spree ignited a dominant Dallas Mavericks performance, dismantling the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
NEW YORK — The Dallas Mavericks arrived at Madison Square Garden depleted, overlooked, and searching for consistency away from home. They left with one of the most authoritative road wins of their season.
Playing without seven rotation players and facing one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams on its home floor, the Dallas Mavericks overwhelmed the New York Knicks 114-97 on Monday night at Madison Square Garden, turning a nationally spotlighted matchup into a one-sided affair before halftime.
Dallas dictated the pace from the opening tip, building a lead that swelled to 26 points and never allowing New York to generate sustained momentum. The Mavericks improved to 4-1 over their last five games despite entering the night just 5-14 on the road, while the Knicks fell to 25-18 amid a growing midseason slide.
The tone was set by Max Christie, who delivered a career night from beyond the arc. Christie knocked down 8 of his 10 three-point attempts, finishing with 26 points and eight rebounds as Dallas shot 46.9 percent from deep.
After the game, Christie described the rhythm that took over as the shots kept falling.
“Being in the zone, you are kind of unconscious,” Christie said. “You don’t really feel what’s going on around you. You’re just kind of in a flow state, and so your body has obviously taken over.”
Christie made his first six three-pointers as the Mavericks stretched the floor and dismantled New York’s defensive coverage. His shooting brought him within reach of the franchise record for most threes in a single game, a mark of 10 shared by George McCloud, Wesley Matthews and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Neither Christie nor head coach Jason Kidd were tracking the record during the game.
“I’ll get more opportunities at that,” Christie said. “I’m not worried about that.”
Kidd emphasized that the focus remained on execution rather than milestones.
“We weren’t playing for records,” Kidd said. “We were playing to win, and so if the game was going to present itself for him to break it, then maybe. But for us it’s about doing the right thing.”
Dallas’ energy quickly translated into scoreboard pressure. The first wave of boos erupted just over four minutes into the second quarter when Cooper Flagg jumped a passing lane and finished a transition layup that pushed the lead to 18. Another cascade followed later in the half as the Mavericks surged to a 75-47 advantage at the break.
Kidd credited his group for setting the tone early on both ends of the floor.
“I thought the group was really good this evening when you talk about just the pace and setting the tone for us,” Kidd said. “Make or miss, we were playing fast.”
Flagg, who returned after missing two games with a sprained left ankle, played 28 minutes in his first professional appearance at Madison Square Garden. He finished with 18 points and seven rebounds, shooting 7 of 14 from the field.
After the game, Flagg said he felt no hesitation in his return despite the minutes restriction.
“Coming back, obviously I was a little restricted minutes-wise, but I felt great out there,” Flagg said. “I didn’t second-guess it or anything.”
Dallas’ production came from across the lineup. Naji Marshall added 19 points and eight rebounds, Moussa Cisse contributed 15 points, nine rebounds and four blocks, and Klay Thompson scored 14 points as the Mavericks consistently punished defensive breakdowns.
The defensive end was equally decisive. Dallas held New York under 100 points for just the second time this season, limiting second chances and forcing contested shots throughout the night.
Flagg pointed to collective execution rather than any single matchup.
“I think just playing team defense,” Flagg said. “We covered for each other really well tonight, and we played really good team defense.”
The Knicks struggled to find rhythm, shooting just 29 percent from three-point range and failing to mount a serious run after falling behind early. Jalen Brunson led New York with 22 points on 9-of-24 shooting, while Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 22 points and 18 rebounds.
Flagg acknowledged Brunson’s shot-making while noting Dallas’ success in controlling tempo.
“He’s one of the best,” Flagg said. “But as long as you don’t let him dictate the pace, I thought we did a good job tonight.”
Dallas carried a 94-71 lead into the fourth quarter and never let up, closing out one of its most complete performances of the season. Kidd said the win reflected growing continuity within a short-handed rotation.
“This group is getting to play together for a little bit,” Kidd said. “Everyone’s touching the ball, there’s no one complaining about shots. Guys are just playing basketball and playing for one another.”
The Mavericks will look to carry that formula forward when they return home Thursday to host the Golden State Warriors, hoping that the pace, defensive commitment and unselfish play displayed at Madison Square Garden can translate into sustained momentum.