Knicks Destroyed by Twitter for 'Embarrassing' Collapse in Loss vs. Luka Doncic, Mavs
December 3, 2022
The Dallas Mavericks embarrassed the New York Knicks 121-100 on Saturday in Madison Square Garden.
New York led 32-20 after the first quarter and once held a 15-point advantage, but the Mavs destroyed the Knicks from that moment forward. They outscored New York 41-15 in the third quarter and led by as many as 32 points.
Luka Doncic guided the Mavs with 30 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Tim Hardaway Jr. hit eight of the Mavs' 24 three-pointers en route to 28 points. Both players outscored the Knicks by themselves in the third quarter.
Spencer Dinwiddie fell just short of a triple-double with 17 points, nine assists and nine rebounds. Their production was more than enough on an afternoon where the Mavs played without Christian Wood (illness).
Julius Randle led the Knicks with 24 points, while Immanuel Quickley scored 23 off the bench. Jalen Brunson, who played against his old team for the first time since leaving the Mavs in free agency last offseason, had 13 points and three assists.
The Knicks played an eerily similar game earlier this season in a 112-99 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 2.
New York led 32-21 after the first quarter but fell apart in the third, where the Hawks outscored the Knicks 32-10. Atlanta led by as many as 19 before the 13-point win.
This game was even worse, though, and now the Knicks have fallen to 10-13, including 4-7 at home. They entered last offseason with the intent to compete this year, but New York, which began the day in 11th place within the Eastern Conference, doesn't look like it'll even make the playoffs at this juncture thanks largely to a porous defense.
NBA and Knicks Twitter called out the team's bewildering effort, with some pointing the finger at head coach Tom Thibodeau and the team's offensive game plan alongside the sheer disappointment of the loss and the team's season thus far.
Frank Barrett @FrankBarrett119This should be the last game Thibodeau coaches for the Knicks. We’ve seen enough.<br><br>Someone will pop in and explain why this isn’t all his fault or how flawed the roster is, which misses the point. This team isn’t supposed to compete for a title. But they need a new voice, period.
Joseph Flynn @ChinaJoeFlynnHonestly, this is the best thing to happen, long-term. I was scared when <a href="https://twitter.com/IanBegley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IanBegley</a> reported that there would be no tanking (whatever Dolan or the Knicks FO thinks "tanking" means). Whoever's in charge has to understand that they aren't close to any kind of contention.
New York will stay home to host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.