DALLAS — Karl Anthony pointed out the reasons for the loss on a chalkboard in the locker room, with 26 percent highlighted in red so you couldn't miss it.
“Well, that's the first half,” Towns said. “We didn’t take good shots, we didn’t take them well at all.
Seven days and four games into their road trip, the Knicks are suffering from multiple personality disorder.
Nowhere was that more evident than in the Mavericks' 129-114 game on the table before Thanksgiving on Wednesday. The Knicks lost, and their vaunted offense withered away at American Airlines Center under Jason Kidd's switching defense.
Two nights after the Knicks (10-8) scored an NBA-high 145 points in a win over Denver, shooting 26 percent in a decisive first half (kids, protect your eyes) ) was recorded.
“I couldn't buy a life-saving basket to start the game,” Jalen Brunson said. “Defensively, we weren't there. It's a long season. To be honest, we have to limit our highs and lows and be as consistent as possible.”
This struggle was written all over the box score, but it's best illustrated through OG Anunoby, who had his worst game yet as a Knick following a career-high 40-point performance on Monday.
Anunoby, who was the team's MVP in the first month, had three hits in 15 at bats and scored eight runs. He and Josh Hart, the starting forwards, were 0-for-13 from the field and scored two points in the first half.
The Mavericks played a switching defense on screens, which has been a problem for Tom Thibodeau this season, but the Knicks had no answer.
“We're giving the team a game plan. [to stop us]'' Hart said, noting how the Celtics and Rockets also thwarted the Knicks with that strategy.
The only reason their total points and overall shooting percentage (47%) looked respectable was because they piled up points in garbage time. The Knicks never trailed by single digits in the second half.
“I guarantee you Jason Kidd is a great coach,” Towns said. “He watched the game [against Denver] And he found a way to play against us. he did a great job. they were ready. ”
Towns and Brunson were their only weapons, combining for 62 points. Brunson had 37 points and Mikal Bridges had 20 points on 19 shots.
The ball stopped moving.
The Knicks had just 20 assists, including garbage time, two nights after tying the franchise record with 45.
They buried the Suns after a dud against the Jazz a week ago, a great performance against the Nuggets, and a crushing loss against the Mavericks.
“Some nights it looks silly, and other nights it looks silly in a different way,” Branson said. “Like I said, we need to level out. It can't be a roller coaster. It has to be a much more steady slope for us.”
The first quarter set the tone.
The Knicks' high-octane offense entered Wednesday ranked second in efficiency in the NBA, but they took a string of terrible shots in the opening period and scored just 15 points.
The Knicks missed 17 of 21 attempts, including going 0-for-8 from beyond the arc. He recorded two assists in the first quarter, giving him a 13-point lead.
Thibodeau's troops never recovered.
They were down 22 points at halftime, but by the end of the third quarter they were down 19 points. About 90 minutes before tipoff, Mavericks head coach Kidd declared Brunson and Towns the “No. 1 pick-and-roll duo in the NBA.”
Dallas (11-8) then locked down the rest. The Knicks' bench was non-existent, scoring a combined 12 points between Cam Payne, Jericho Sims and Miles McBride.
“We've been on the road for a long time,” Thibodeau said, suggesting the Knicks were mentally or physically tired. “Early start [6:30 p.m. local]but we have to prepare for departure. And we got into that hole, and it was hard to dig out. ”
Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving scored 23 points for the Mavericks, shooting 56.5 percent from the field. Former Knick Quentin Grimes served as a two-way man, helping guard Brunson.
Luka Doncic missed his fifth game in six games due to wrist tightness, but the Mavs were 4-1 without him.
A lot of it has to do with Irving, the Knicks owner. He has won 19 of the past 21 meetings with the franchise, including a 10-game winning streak. Irving hasn't lost to the Knicks since joining the Celtics in 2018.
And on Wednesday, the first 24 minutes were easy.
“The first half was terrible,” Hart said.
