The New York Knicks’ search for their first road win of the season continues when they face the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.
As good as the Knicks have been at home this season (8-1), that success has not traveled well in the early season. New York fell to 0-4 away from Madison Square Garden with a 115-113 loss to the Miami Heat on Monday.
Any type of victory would be welcomed at this point by Dallas, which is 4-11 after losing 120-96 to the host Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. The undermanned Mavericks played without Daniel Gafford (ankle), Dereck Lively II (knee) and Anthony Davis (calf).
Gafford and Lively are expected to be available on Wednesday, while Davis is out for at least another 7-10 days. Dallas has been playing all season without point guard Kyrie Irving, who is recovering from a torn left ACL.
The injuries have taken a toll on the Mavericks, who committed 20 turnovers in Monday’s loss. Jaden Hardy scored 17 points off the bench while Brandon Williams and Cooper Flagg added 15 points apiece.
“This is just a part of the season,” said Dallas coach Jason Kidd. “Our health is a big problem. We have guys out for one game, then they’re in on a minutes’ restriction.
“So there’s no continuity. There won’t be any continuity. We’re trying to piece this thing together. Give those guys in that locker room credit. They’re fighting. It’s just what it is right now until we can get healthy.”
Mavericks forward P.J. Washington echoed Kidd’s thoughts when asked about his team’s current slide.
“A lot of guys out,” Washington said. “A lot of guys playing positions they haven’t really played before in this league. We’re playing with new lineups. We’re trying to stick with it. Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us. So we got to go out and keep fighting.”
Injuries also have been a concern for New York, which is adjusting while starters Jalen Brunson (ankle) and OG Anunoby (hamstring) are sidelined.
Miles McBride scored a season-high 25 points to lead New York in Monday’s loss to the Heat. Mikal Bridges added 23 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 with 15 rebounds.
The Knicks struggled again to defend the 3-point shot, allowing Miami to shoot 40% (14 of 35) from beyond the arc.
“We have to do a better job of guarding the ball,” said New York coach Mike Brown. “We have to do a better job of our shifts and recognizing who we’re shifting off. We have to do a better job with our closeouts. It’s something we’ll continue to work on throughout the course of the year because, in that specific area, we can get better.”
The Knicks’ frontcourt is also a work in progress as center Mitchell Robinson eases back into action. The 7-foot Robinson has seen his minutes limited while the team monitors his surgically repaired ankle.
Robinson has played 20 or fewer minutes in each of his seven games this season, but Brown said that could change soon. He played 18 minutes against Miami and grabbed 11 rebounds.
“(His minutes limit) has increased. It’s gone up three times,” Brown said. “It’s all part of the load-management thing. So it’s not necessarily a restriction. It’s just continuing the process with our load management. So it’s going up. He could’ve played 27 minutes.”
