Luka Dončić scored 26 points (13 in the fourth quarter), and the Dallas Mavericks went on a 14-3 run in the third quarter to beat the New York Knicks 99-86.
The Knicks led 59-56 with 6:37 left in the third quarter. Jalen Brunson’s 18-foot step-back jumper put the Mavericks ahead for good with 5:35 left in the quarter. They took a 70-62 lead with 2:58 left in the quarter and led by as many as 15 in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks got within 72-71 on Taj Gibson’s reverse layup with 11:27 to play, but Tim Hardaway Jr. answered with a driving layup, and the Knicks got no closer.
Brunson scored 15 points on 6 for 9 shooting off the bench. Dončić scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter.
For the Knicks, Alec Burks scored 20 points (12 on 4 3-pointers) off the bench, and Julius Randle went 1 for 7 from 3.
The Mavericks shot 46.6% from the field and 32.4% from 3 to the Knicks’ 36.0% and 31.6%. They outscored the Knicks 50-30 in the paint. The Mavericks outscored the Knicks 22-12 in 9 minutes with Hardaway, Porziņģis, Finney-Smith, Kleber and Brunson on the floor together.