The New York Knicks suffered another speed bump Tuesday night in Houston, losing 91-86 to the Rockets. They take on another high-powered Western Conference offense as they visit American Airlines Center to take on the Dallas Mavericks. Will the Knicks’ woes continue against the Mavs’ explosive offense? Or will New York give Dallas their third-straight loss?
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[sc:NBAArticles ]New York Knicks vs. Dallas Mavericks Preview
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas
When: Wednesday, November 26, 7:30 PM ET
Line: New York Knicks (-14) at Dallas Mavericks (+14); total 202.0 – view all NBA lines
Betting on the New York Knicks
New York star forward Carmelo Anthony exited the game with two minutes to go in the first half due to back spasms, and the Knicks failed to contain the Rockets en route to their loss Monday night. Anthony had 14 points in the first half, and was the only Knick to score in double-digits.
The Knicks had some production off the bench though as Amar’e Stoudemire, Travis Wear, Shane Larkin, Pablo Prigioni and J.R. Smith combined for 41 of their 49 bench points.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Stoudemire and Larkin had their contributions on defense as well. Stoudemire had three blocks, and now faces a tough challenge matching up against Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki (18.8 points per game). Meanwhile, Larkin had three steals but may struggle to get more against Dallas’ excellent ball handling (5.4 steals allowed per game, second in the league).
The Knicks will also have to brace for the possibility of Anthony not being able to play due to his back pains. The forward has been instrumental to the Knicks’ offense this year as the only player who averages more than 20 points (23.9) in the team.
However, if Anthony does manage to play without any hindrances, then he can continue to be a thorn on Dallas’ side. Anthony averaged 31.5 points on 20 of 45 shooting (8-for-15 from the three point line) in splitting a home-and-home series against the Mavs last season.
The Knicks have lost 10 of their last 12 games this season.
Betting on the Dallas Mavericks
Dirk Nowtizki had a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds, Chandler Parsons went 3-for-6 from downtown and Monta Ellis scored a team-high 24 points as the Mavs were upset 111-100 by a short-handed Indiana Pacers Monday night.
The Mavs are most devastating when their big men of Nowitzki, Parsons and Tyson Chandler form a strong, cohesive front. They may be able to get back in stride against a struggling Knicks squad.
Chandler, facing his old team for the first time, should be a dominant presence on the boards (averaging 10.4 rebounds this season) against the Knicks, who don’t have a premier center in their rotation. Meanwhile, Nowtizki has shown that he can still score points anywhere on the court. He’s shooting .516 from the field and .424 from beyond the arc this season and should stretch out New York’s already suspect defense.
Of the three Dallas frontcourt starters, Parsons will need to be more consistent with his shots after going 2 for 11 from downtown in the previous two games before hitting .500 against the Pacers.
Against a shallow New York team, the Mavs will need to make sure to spread out their offense among their players to keep their opponents guessing. Dallas may do so as they’re ranked fifth in the league with 24.4 assists per game, led by the backcourt tandem of Monta Ellis and Jameer Nelson, both recording 4.6 assists per game.
The Mavs are 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Mavs rebound with a big win over the Knicks. You can also win big through the NBA. All you need to do is create a betting account now and start wagering on your favorite teams.
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