Knicks at Mavericks Preview: How, Who to Watch in Jalen Brunson's Homecoming
The Christmas season is over but a holiday reunion awaits Jalen Brunson on Thursday night.
Brunson will take to North Texas hardwood for the first time since signing a four-year, $104 million contract with the New York Knicks during the summer of 2022 when his current employers take on the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. The point guard's transfer caused a bit of a rift between the Knicks and Mavericks, leading to collusion accusations from the latter that eventually cost New York a second-round pick in the 2025 draft after an investigation.
The price has been well worth it: after Brunson helped guide them to their most successful season in a decade in his debut metropolitan campaign, the Knicks are arguably playing even better this time around. New York enters Thursday's game as winners of each of its last five, standing as the only undefeated NBA team left in the new calendar year. The emphatic victories have come by an average of 24 points, the latest being a 112-84 shellacking of the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
Dallas is currently in the midst of a seven-game homestand, winning the first three stages before falling to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. The Mavericks will be without Brunson's friend Luka Doncic, who has been ruled out of Thursday's game with an ankle sprain.
This will be the first of two meetings between New York and Dallas this season, with the rematch at Madison Square Garden slated for Feb. 8. The Mavericks swept the yearly pair for the first time since 2015-16, partly aided by a 60-point showing from Doncic in the Dallas portion of the series.
What: New York Knicks (22-15) @ Dallas Mavericks (22-16)
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
When/Watch: Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET, MSG
Who's Favored: NYK -4
Jerome Miron, USA Today Sports
Keep An Eye On: Jalen Brunson
Brunson was a mere spectator for Doncic's post-Christmas mastery just over a year ago, sitting out of the Knicks' annual visit due to an injury. Ever since his final hours in Dallas, Brunson's career has been all about proving what came before was not a fluke, as a fifth/sixth season is a relatively late blooming for a bonafide NBA star. But after capitalizing upon the hints of his powers displayed during the Mavericks' unexpected run to the 2022 Western Conference Finals, Brunson has continued to fulfill, nay, exceed every expectation his nine-figure Knicks contract has placed upon him. Brunson has had a knack for rising particularly high in meaningful games, so it'll be interesting to see what he can do in a return to North Texas.
Maverick to Watch: Kyrie Irving
The Knicks' fifth-place finish likely precluded any serious run at Brunson winning MVP, but his value was purely indicated in the dire straits the Mavericks found themselves in while trying to replace him. After several failed experiments (including big-budget Knicks bomb Kemba Walker), Dallas settled on Irving, willing to set aside any of the myriad of concerns that followed him for any form of backcourt momentum. To his credit, Irving has vindicated the Mavericks' decision to bring him back on a three-year deal and has more than picked up the slack in Doncic's absence, similar to the way Brunson did during the aforementioned playoff run.
They Said It
“What’s the impact that you have on the group when you’re on the floor? ... Because it’s not just bringing the best out of yourself, but it’s bringing the best out of the group. He is having a great impact on that. He’s fit in extremely well with his teammates.”-head coach Tom Thibodeau on OG Anunoby (h/t Peter Botte, New York Post)
Prediction
Again, this Knicks' winning streak isn't going to last forever, but, from a metropolitan perspective, it's impossible not to enjoy what's transpired in Manhattan. Brunson's long-awaited return to Dallas is another special occasion to get the fanbase rolling and dreaming of something bigger. Sure, the game loses a tad bit of its luster with Doncic sidelined and former public enemy Mark Cuban taking a step away from the team's day-to-day affairs. But Brunson's mastery has been well-adored by anyone remotely associated with New York basketball and taking down dastardly Dallas will push their momentum further.
