Mavs Game Observations: Game 19 vs Knicks [Game of the Week]

A statement on defense and the season’s most complete game

Photo by Sam Hodde / Getty Images

The Mavericks keep rolling, picking up their sixth win in the last seven games with a convincing 129-114 victory over the New York Knicks, the hottest offensive team in the league.

Don’t let the final score fool you—Dallas built a 24-point lead and eased off late, but this game was all about defense early. It’s the kind of statement I needed to see before fully buying into their early-season ranking as a top-10 defense.

While this game began as a defensive stand, it evolved into something even bigger. The Mavericks’ recent flurry of pace and relentless drives from all angles continued, paired with their best shooting performance of the season.

The result? The most complete game we’ve seen from Dallas so far.

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Today’s notes:

1. A big defensive stand early

2. Dallas setting the terms and the pace

3. Relentless drive-and-kick attacks from from all angles

4. Best shooting night of the season

5. P.J., Lively and the renaissance on the boards 📈

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1-A big defensive stand early

The New York Knicks were the NBA's best offense going into the game, led by the deadly pick-and-roll duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, the self-proclaimed best shooting big man of all time, playing at center in a 5-Out offensive system that has given the Mavericks so many problems in the past.

Missing Luka Dončić, Klay Thompson, and Daniel Gafford, Jason Kidd had little choice but to roll out his most defensive-minded starting lineup of the season, featuring Quentin Grimes, Naji Marshall, P.J. Washington, and Dereck Lively II alongside Kyrie Irving. To maintain the early defensive pressure and momentum, a rejuvenated Maxi Kleber was the first sub off the bench. The Knicks missed some early open looks and struggled from three, but the Mavericks’ defensive pressure and execution set the tone for their best defensive half of the season: holding New York to just 15 points in the first quarter and 38 by halftime.

Lineups featuring a mix of Grimes, Marshall, Washington, Lively, and Kleber allowed Dallas to switch most of Brunson's pick-and-roll actions. This prevented rotations and breakdowns, forcing the Knicks into a steady diet of tough shots.

2-Dallas setting the terms and the pace

Kidd’s strategy of pushing the pace against a Knicks team that prefers the half-court and leans heavily on its starters logging big minutes was something I hinted at in the preview.

Early stops enabled Dallas to run, push the pace, and force the Knicks to play on their terms. Seeing Jazian Gortman in a three-guard setup for the second consecutive game in the first quarter was clear proof of how much Kidd prioritized playing fast.

The Knicks found themselves in a run-and-gun matchup instead of the half-court game they excel in. This opened up the floor and exposed their biggest defensive weakness—contesting shots in the paint. Which leads me to my next point.

3-Relentless drive-and-kick attacks from all angles

What’s made the Mavericks so fun to watch during this recent stretch without Dončić is the number of players stepping up into bigger roles and taking on more on-ball responsibilities.

P.J. Washington (an impressive all-around performance with 19 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal) and Naji Marshall (24 points) attacking the paint and consistently averaging around 20 points per game has almost become a given at this point.

But there’s even more behind the two wing pillars. After the disappointment in Miami, Spencer Dinwiddie stepped up in a big way for the second consecutive game, delivering a much-needed scoring punch when the Knicks began to rally and find their rhythm in the third quarter. Just like in Atlanta, Dinwiddie came through with key buckets, scoring effectively in isolation and out of the pick-and-roll. He finished with 21 points on an efficient 8-of-11 shooting and 9 assists. Quentin Grimes added to the strong offensive showing with a good shooting night, scoring 21 points on 4-of-8 from three. He topped off a balanced attack that featured four Mavericks scoring over 20 points—including, of course, Kyrie Irving, who once again provided the backbone, creating advantages whenever the team needed them

4-Best shooting night of the season

I mentioned the Mavericks exposing the Knicks’ weakness in defending the paint, with Towns standing out as one of the worst rim-protecting bigs in the NBA this season—confirmed by tracking data.

The Mavericks kept the Knicks in rotation and scramble mode for most of the night, either by pushing the pace and attacking the paint early before the defense could get set, or by patiently playing off Irving. The Knicks often sent two defenders at Irving—either Towns or another help defender—or doubled him when he targeted Brunson in guard-on-guard screening actions.

This ultimately led to the type of offense we’ve come to expect from the Mavericks in the past—feasting on corner three opportunities on a nightly basis. Dallas, which led the league in corner three frequency over the past two seasons by playing off Dončić’s pick-and-roll manipulation, has fallen to 18th in this category this season. Last night, they tied their season high with 15 corner three attempts and, more importantly, set a new season high by making 8 of them. When Marshall, Washington, and Grimes are hitting these shots like they did last night, the drive-and-kick game becomes even harder to defend.

Largely fueled by their season-best 52% shooting from three (17-of-33), Dallas delivered their best offensive performance of the season, scoring at an impressive rate of 134 points per 100 possessions.

5- P.J., Lively and the renaissance on the boards📈

One of the biggest challenges in Mavericks’ poor start to the season has been rebounding. Lively’, Washington’s and Kleber’s absence depleted the Mavericks of their size and forced them into playing small, guard-heavy lineups.

On November 15th, Dallas ranked 25th in offensive rebounding and 27th in defensive rebounding. Since the return of Lively, Washington, and Kleber to the rotation, the Mavericks have climbed into the top 10 in both categories—ranking 6th in offensive rebounding and 5th in defensive rebounding during their recent 6-1 stretch.

Last night wasn’t the kind of dominance we’ve seen recently on the offensive boards against smaller teams like OKC, San Antonio, or New Orleans. Instead, it was another solid performance, with Dallas maintaining a rebounding edge.

The Mavericks are a conservative team when it comes to crashing the offensive glass, which is why Lively (9 rebounds last night) makes such a big difference with his activity and length. As does Washington with his length and strength on the defensive glass—his 10 rebounds last night marked his fourth straight double-digit rebounding game and his fifth in the last six.