Jan 19, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts after a call in the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Three Key Takeaways From Knicks’ Brutal Loss To Mavericks

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jayesh Pagar | Last updated Jan 20, 2026 3:00 PM ET

Madison‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ Square Garden faced its brutal test yesterday. Dallas attacked New York right from the start and did not allow the Knicks to get into the game, as they easily won 114-97, a score that was already clear way before the final ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌horn.

After‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ the first quarter, the Knicks were trailing 31-22 and then the second quarter was brutal for them as their night completely went downhill.

What was just a small deficit turned to be total embarrassment. At halftime, Dallas was leading as 75-47, and the fans' boos were on the same level as the ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌scores.

Second quarter exposes a team without an emergency switch

The Knicks did more than just lose the second quarter, they gave up the heartbeat of the game. Dallas won the quarter by 44-25, and the simplest formula in basketball made that difference: Dallas playing at a fast pace, having confidence, and making shots while the Knicks were hesitating and making mistakes.

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The signs were there early, although no one was willing to listen. Dallas scored the first 16 points of the game while the Knicks managed only 4, causing New York to take a timeout very quickly and start chasing the game from the first minute, and the Knicks never really got back on track after that.

Knicks let Max Christie settle in

The‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ most obvious sign from Max Christie's box score is a loud alarm: 26 points, 8 three-pointers, and a last 3 that made the lead 30 right before halftime.

Dallas didn’t have to figure out a complicated play to get him open; in fact, the Knicks just did the work for them by late closeouts, soft switches and miscommunication that turned good shooters into great ones.

What’s hardest to stomach is that Christie's performance was more than just the player’s individual skill; it was the defensive confusion of the whole Knicks team. Whenever the Knicks chased the ball over screens, the help was not there; when they switched, they left the ball-handler too much space; when they helped at the rim, the kick-outs were available on time.

Towns and Brunson produced, but the Knicks’ offense still lacked identity

Karl-Anthony‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ Towns (22 points, 18 rebounds) and Jalen Brunson (22 points) both scored well in their game, while Mitchell Robinson scored 12 and grabbed 14 rebound coming off the bench.

However, none of that helped because the Knicks never discovered an offensive button that they could repeatedly use after Dallas built their lead, and the score became very unfavorable at halftime.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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