Mavericks 114, Knicks 111: O.J. Mayo scored 27 points and host Dallas held off a furious rally to hand New York its second loss of the season.
Vince Carter scored 14 of his season-high 25 points in the fourth quarter and the Mavericks avenged a 10-point loss at New York on Dec. 9 to beat the Knicks for the 12th time in 13 meetings in Dallas.
Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points and Tyson Chandler had 21 points and 13 rebounds – both season highs – while sparking a fourth-quarter comeback that saw New York cut a 12-point deficit to one with 1:15 to play.
Darren Collison had 19 points and seven assists and rookie Jae Crowder contributed 12 points for the Mavericks, who were 13-of-29 from 3-point range as compared to 15-of-31 for the Knicks.
Mayo scored 12 points in the third quarter as the Mavs turned an eight-point deficit into a four-point lead. After Carter gave Dallas its biggest lead at 102-90 with six minutes to play, the Knicks surged back behind ex-Maverick Chandler, who converted three three-point plays in the final 4:45.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Knicks point guard Jason Kidd, who helped the Mavericks win an NBA title in 2010-11, hit five 3-pointers and scored a season-high 17 points. He received an ovation when he was introduced even though he reneged on a verbal agreement with Dallas and signed with New York in the offseason. … Mavericks forward Troy Murphy had two points and five boards in 18 minutes in his first start before leaving the game due to an upper respiratory illness. … The Knicks surrendered their highest point total of the season and allowed 100 points for only the third time – all on the road.
