Second consecutive game of more than 30 points for RJ Barrett. The Canadian led the victory of the New York Knicks against the Dallas Mavericks at Madison Square Garden (108-85). The team from the big apple leaves behind the negative record of victories for the first time since December 7 and remains with a 21-21, in the middle of the fight for the positions of play-in.
Comfortable victory for the Knicks against some Mavericks who did not put up too much resistance. Tom Thibodeau’s men took the lead in the first quarter and were never overtaken by their rival. The gain of 20 points as soon as the last 12 minutes began was too much for the Mavs who only scored 8 of their 37 attempted triples.
Barrett, who finished the game with 32 points and 7 assists, became the youngest player in franchise history to record two consecutive games of at least 30 points. In addition, the Knicks player has scored at least 30 points in three of his last five games. A statistic that explains a step forward in his evolution, since he had only scored 30 points three times during his first 158 NBA games.
After the game, Tom Thibodeau did not want to focus his praise only on Barrett and highlighted the role of all his players. “I think our starters were fantastic. This may have been the best game of the year for them. They played hard and well. I highlight his aggressiveness entering the basket, attacking in transition, moving the ball and making the extra pass, “said the coach.
Luka Doncic did not have his best night. Despite finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds, the Slovenian was not successful. His 8-for-23 shooting from the field, including 1-for-9 from 3-point range, doomed a disappointing Mavericks. With this defeat, the Texan team has a record of 22-19, in fifth place in the Western Conference.
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)