New York Knicks Takeaways From Loss vs. Dallas Mavericks

Dec 7, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) shoots over Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Dallas Mavericks won 104-97. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Player Of The Game: Kristaps Porzingis

This game was a bore through 3+ quarters until Kristaps Porzingis came to live in the quarter quarter. Porzingis carried the Knicks to the verge of a big comeback victory, putting the team on his back as the catalyst of the comeback attempt.

Going up against one of the players that many analysts and scouts compared him to, Porzingis did not disappoint. He poured in a game-high 28 points and was really the only Knick with the knack tonight as Walt Frazier would say. He shot 13-of-18 from the field and 2-of-4 from deep.

That was the extent of his damage tonight, as he did not attempt a free throw for the first time in 12 games. He also didn’t impact the game in other areas as he normally does, grabbing a career-low two rebounds. He did block another two shots with one steal, but his presence was not felt defensively as it normally is.

He bring the Knicks all the way back into the game in the fourth quarter though, which was fun to watch. It was probably the only true highlight of an otherwise tough game to watch.

Next: Matchup Of The Game Recap