Knicks at Mavericks
Tim Hardaway Jr. is stringing together exceptional games but it isn't equating to victories for the New York Knicks. The club has dropped six of its last seven games as it enters Friday's road game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Hardaway scored a season-best 37 points and drained a career-best seven 3-pointers on Wednesday but the Knicks fell 107-101 to the Indiana Pacers. The output was two shy of the 26-year-old guard's career best and he is the first New York player since Patrick Ewing to score at least 24 points in seven of the team's first eight games (Ewing did it in all eight). Dallas has dropped five consecutive games and trailed by 17 points after the opening quarter en route to suffering a 114-113 road loss against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. "A lot of it comes back to how you start the game," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told reporters afterward. "Better starts will put us in better position to win. It's as simple as that."
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), FS Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE KNICKS (2-6): Hardaway is averaging 26 points and topped 30 twice this season as he has developed into a true go-to scorer under first-year coach David Fizdale. "He's competing his butt off," Fizdale told reporters. "He's trying to win every game. He's doing a great job of leading this group. Really been happy with the way he's competing defensively. I think he's playing at an All-Star level despite our record. Hopefully can he sustain this throughout the year." Rookie guard Allonzo Trier put together back-to-back solid games, and is averaging 13 points while making 11-of-14 shots during the stretch.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (2-6): Veteran forward Dirk Nowitzki is still recovering from April's surgery on his left ankle and he told reporters that he is still weeks away from returning. "I haven't even started running on the court, I haven't even started running quick on the treadmill," Nowitzki said. "I've just been slowly jogging and seeing how the foot reacts. Unfortunately we're still talking weeks over days." When he does return, Nowitzki will be a reserve as that was something he agreed to prior to the season after being approached by Carlisle.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Mavericks won 26 of the past 33 meetings.
2. Dallas PG Dennis Smith Jr. had just five points on 2-of-9 shooting against the Lakers after averaging 24.5 points over the previous two games.
3. New York rookie F Kevin Knox (ankle) will miss his sixth straight game.