N.Y. Knicks: Fans Make the Unicorn Feel Unwelcome in Garden Return

From the desk of: DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

THURSDAY

Mavericks   103

Knicks         106

FINAL

Too bad David Fizdale can't play the Mavericks every night.  What an exciting season that would be, as two of the Knicks three victories have come against Dallas, and just happen to be the two most entertaining games of their season to date.

The groundwork for Thursday night's thriller was laid last Friday at Dallas where the Knicks defeat Kristaps Porzingis and the Mavs in a 106-102 final.  Despite 28 points from Kristaps, the Mavericks were outdone by 29 points and nine rebounds from Marcus Morris; 21 points and eight rebounds from Julius Randle; and Bobby Portis' double-double off the bench with 14 points and a dozen boards.

In his first game back at Madison Square Garden since essentially instigating his own trade out out town, Porzingis is 7/17 from the floor and just 1/5 from beyond the arc.  He scores 20 points and secures 11 rebounds for the cosmetic double-double.

A raucous Garden crowd begins serenading Kristaps late in the third quarter with hymns of A$$H@L#...!  Later in the final minute of the quarter with the Knicks down by two Porzingis secures a rebound off a Luka Doncic miss, and emphatically dunks it tying the game at 87-87 with the clock showing 0:04 left in the third.  Kristaps then pauses and glances around as if to say who's the a$$h@l# now.

The Knicks dominate the boards by a 53-44 margin.  Marcus Morris again leads the Knicks with 20 points.  Julius Randle adds 17 points and ten rebounds.  Mitchell Robinson scores 16 points with eight rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench before fouling out.  Dennis Smith Jr. leads the Knicks with eight assists with 13 points also off the bench.