The Dallas Mavericks will look to get another win without Luka Doncic when they play the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
Doncic has missed the last three games due to a sprained wrist and will be reevaluated later this week. The Mavericks, currently ninth in the Western Conference, have won five of their last six games and are 2-1 since Doncic got hurt.
“We’ve got a lot of competitors in this locker room, guys that want to win and put their body on the line,” said Mavericks star Kyrie Irving. “We’re not sure who is going to be healthy day-in, day-out, but those who suit up are going to be ready to play.”
Irving scored 32 points in the Mavericks’ win over Atlanta on Monday, where Dallas also played without Quentin Grimes and Klay Thompson. The Mavericks also got a big performance from 7-foot Daniel Gafford, who had 10 points and is averaging a career-high 12.3 points per game.
Gafford, 26, has played for the Bulls and Wizards before being traded to the Mavericks at last year’s trade deadline. He leads the NBA in field goal percentage at 72 percent.
“I’m just getting better as the days go by,” Gafford said. “It’s about having patience and trying to expand my offensive game to make more plays. Teams are blitzing and switching more, so I’m figuring out how to make the right passes and take advantage of mismatches.”
This game is part of the Knicks’ five-game road trip. The Knicks are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference. On Monday night, they scored a season-high 145 points in a win over the Denver Nuggets, which left Nuggets coach Michael Malone furious in a post-game press conference.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was more calm in his comments, focusing on his team’s defense.
“You look at what all the markers are telling you, over the last five games, we have averaged 123 points and given up 115, and we have won four of five. Net rating (is) the most important stat there is to me,” Thibodeau said. “Then I look at how many points we are giving up in the paint, we’re top five there, how many second-chance points, we’re top five there.
“I think the physicality is there, the rebounding is there. Now it never ends, it’s something you have to always work on, so that’s where we are.”
Offensively, the Knicks rank fourth in the NBA with 119.1 points per game. OG Anunoby scored a career-high 40 points in the win over Denver.
Karl-Anthony Towns has been exactly what the Knicks hoped for when they acquired him in the offseason. He leads the Knicks with 26.3 points per game, while Jalen Brunson has scored 24.9 points per game.
The Knicks are still missing key players, including Precious Achiuwa (hamstring) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle). It’s unlikely either will play during this road trip, but Thibodeau said both are making progress in their recovery.
“We’re really encouraged with both guys,” he said.
Dallas has beaten the Knicks in each of the last two seasons, winning the season series both times.
