'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Dallas Mavericks take on the New York Knicks next at Madison Square Garden as they look to record their third-straight win on the bounce. This will be the first meeting between the two sides this season.
The Mavericks beat the OKC Thunder 127-106 in their last game, thanks to star man Luka Doncic's 36-point game. The win helped the Dallas Mavericks improve their season to 25-21, which further strengthened their hold on the seventh spot in the West.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks narrowly lost to the lowly-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves 101-102, despite Julius Randle's 26-point outing. The defeat saw the Knicks slip to a 24-24 overall record and sixth in the East standings. The loss against the Timberwolves was the Knicks' second consecutive defeat.
Dallas Mavericks vs. New York Knicks - Prediction
The Dallas Mavericks hit top form before the All-Star break but haven't been able to carry that momentum since the break. The Mavs have recorded seven wins and five losses during that stretch. However, with the likes of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis fit and in form, the Mavericks appear to be in great spirits ahead of this matchup.
On the other hand, the New York Knicks have been worse than their opponents post the All-Star break. They have managed just five wins in 11 games during that period, which has put their hopes of qualifying as a top-six side in jeopardy.
However, after several injury concerns, the Knicks finally seem to have a healthier squad at their disposal. They will be looking to capitalize on that, starting with their next game.
The game between the Dallas Mavericks and the New York Knicks seems like an evenly matched contest and may even go down to the wire. However, the momentum is on the Mavericks' side, owing to their two-game winning streak heading into this matchup. This positive run of form makes the Mavericks favorites to win this tie.
Nonetheless, the New York Knicks are an unpredictable side and will look to gain home-court advantage against their opponents while snapping their losing streak in the process.
Dallas Mavericks vs. New York Knicks - Combined 5
Point Guard - Luka Doncic l Shooting Guard - Josh Richardson l Small Forward - RJ Barrett Power Forward - Julius Randle l Center - Kristaps Porzingis
The Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks have a formidable bunch of players who could wreak havoc in the league if put in the same team. On that note, we take a look at a hypothetical combined five comprising of players from both the teams below.
The two guards in our hypothetical lineup are Luka Doncic and Josh Richardson of the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic is an automatic starter due to the stellar MVP-caliber season he has had so far. He is leading the Mavericks roster in points (28.5), assists (9), rebounds (8.1), and steals (1) per game this season.
On the other hand, his teammate Richardson has been a solid partner and has started all the games he has been a part of for the Mavericks. Richardson is averaging 12.8 points per game this campaign, shooting 43% from the field.
The forward pairing will see the New York Knicks' two best players, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, pair up in our hypothetical combined five lineup.
Randle is having a career-best season, averaging 23.1 points, 5.8 assists, and 10.8 rebounds per game. Barrett, meanwhile, has complimented Randle well and is averaging 17.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game this season.
Kristaps Porzingis of the Dallas Mavericks, who previously played for the New York Knicks, makes this hypothetical combined five lineup as the center.
Despite injury problems and an underwhelming season, Porzingis is averaging 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game so far.
Porzingis' average and performance are way better than his counterpart Nerlens Noels, making Porzingis a must-have player in this combined five lineup.
