N.Y. Knicks: Striving and Driving to Fifth Straight Win

From the desk: KICKING CANS DOWN 33RD STREET WITH JIMMY

FRIDAY

Knicks        117

Mavericks  109

FINAL

Thibodeau's Time Bandits Corral Dallas Mavericks

Don't look now, but the Knicks are winners of a season-high five in a row.  In fact, it's their longest such streak in seven years.  The Knicks have also climbed three games above .500 for the first time this season and finish the night sixth in the Eastern Conference, a mere half-game behind Boston and 1.5 games ahead of the Miami Heat.

Julius Randle matched his season-high with 44 points; he previously scored 44 points back in mid-February against the Atlanta Hawks.  This marks the eighth time this season he's scored 30 points or more, three of which have come consecutively over the last three games.  The Knicks own a 6-3 record through nine games in April, with Julius Randle averaging 26 points per game.  Against the Mavs, Julius attempted a game-high 29 shots, converting 16 times, including 6/11 from behind the arc and 6/9 from the stripe, along with ten rebounds and seven assists in 41 minutes.  It was his 32nd double-double in 56 games played this season.

RJ Barrett was the second of three Knicks starters to exceed 40 minutes on the floor.  Reggie Bullock was the third.  Barrett scored 24 points with eight rebounds in a game-high 46 minutes, while Bullock struggled to score eleven points in 41 minutes.

Derrick Rose was the main component off the bench, adding 15 points in 25 minutes.  Taj Gibson was the only other bench player to receive significant minutes.

Playing against their former team, Kristaps Porzingis led the Mavericks with 23 points in 38 minutes, and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 16 points in 24 minutes off the bench.

The Knicks have 15 games remaining on their schedule.  They return home to host New Orleans on Sunday, which kicks off a six-game homestand.  After which, they go on the road for five games before wrapping up their final three regular-season games at Madison Square Garden.