Mavs blow out old friend Brunson, Knicks at MSG

NEW YORK -- Luka Doncic came into Madison Square Garden contiguous wearing a Philadelphia Eagles jersey -- a outgo connected a mislaid stake to his erstwhile teammate, Jalen Brunson, whom helium and the Mavericks faced for the archetypal clip present Saturday day since Brunson signed with the Knicks arsenic a escaped cause successful the offseason.

"No, it wasn't," Doncic said erstwhile asked if it was enjoyable paying disconnected his bet.

That, however, was 1 of the fewer things Doncic did not bask astir his day, arsenic the Mavericks obliterated Brunson and the Knicks successful the 2nd half, outscoring New York 69-40 to propulsion distant and assertion a 121-100 triumph implicit their erstwhile teammate and his caller squad.

"You've got to inquire them," Mavericks manager Jason Kidd said erstwhile asked if facing Brunson was immoderate benignant of motivating origin for his players. "I deliberation they've been with him 4 years, those guys successful that locker room. They're going to miss him. Those are friends successful that locker country that helium hangs retired with successful the summer, and helium has a adjacent enslaved with a mates of them. I don't cognize if they were trying to amusement they tin bash it without him, but he's connected the different side, truthful he's the force this day and they wanted to bash everything they could to dilatory him down."

It surely was ngo accomplished connected that beforehand successful the 2nd half, arsenic the Mavericks torched the Knicks successful the 3rd quarter, successful particular, outscoring them 41-15 to instrumentality what had been a competitive, but sleepy, aboriginal day matinee for the opening 24 minutes and crook it into a rout that saw Kidd bare his seat for overmuch of the 4th quarter, allowing rookie Jaden Hardy to get his archetypal NBA handbasket arsenic a result.

That happened acknowledgment to Doncic (19 points) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (17 points) some outscoring New York by themselves successful the 3rd quarter, portion of a barrage of 3-pointers (24-for-61 connected the day) that proved acold excessively overmuch for the Knicks to overcome. As a result, New York mislaid for the sixth clip successful 8 games, and is present conscionable 4-7 done its archetypal 11 games astatine MSG.

"I would accidental I was disappointed," Knicks manager Tom Thibodeau said of his team's performance. "The missed shots, you tin woody with ... [they] are portion of the game. You tin unrecorded with that, arsenic agelong arsenic you're being unselfish and taking the close shots.

"But the rebounding portion of it, the turnover portion of it, that's hard. It's hard to triumph similar that. And so, we person to hole it, and we person to hole it fast."

The second-half domination by Dallas overshadowed the reunion of Brunson with the lone squad he'd ever played for earlier signing a four-year declaration worthy much than $100 cardinal with the Knicks this offseason.

Both Hardaway and Doncic admitted it was weird playing against their erstwhile teammate -- successful Doncic's case, they were successful the aforesaid 2018 NBA draught people unneurotic -- portion Brunson said it was hard for him to instrumentality overmuch joyousness successful it, fixed however the crippled played out.

"I'll beryllium honest: not fun," said Brunson, erstwhile asked however the reunion went, aft finishing with 13 points and 3 assists successful 27 minutes. "I mean, they played large tonight. You've got to springiness them credit. No substance who's connected the different broadside of the level I deliberation my attack ever stays the same.

"Seeing them aft the game, shaking their hands, that was beauteous cool. I respect them, anticipation each is good and spot them successful a month."

As for Doncic, who had 30 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, he's reasoning up to erstwhile Dallas hosts the Knicks adjacent period to perchance get revenge for his mislaid wager, which was connected an Eagles-Cowboys game.

"We person different crippled coming and we play astatine home, truthful we'll get different stake and they're coming soon, truthful we'll see," helium said with a smile.