New York Knicks: 5 best things from the season so far

2. Knicks sweeping the Dallas Mavericks

The Knicks swept the Dallas Mavericks this season. For the Knicks, both games – especially the one at MSG – had an NBA Finals vibe.

There was nothing more satisfying than watching the Knicks defeat the Mavericks after the gut-wrenching trade of Kristaps Porzingis. Although it was aimed at clearing cap space to sign Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (and maybe draft Zion Williamson), we ended up with Dennis Smith Jr., Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, Reggie Bullock, Taj Gibson, Marcus Morris and…(*sigh*) Wayne Ellington. It was a much-needed win.

The Mavericks and Knicks have never been considered rivals. But, because of this trade, there is animosity from Knicks fans towards the Mavericks. More so towards Porzingis. So this game took place against an emotionally charged history.

The Knicks had finally drafted their best player since Patrick Ewing, and it was believed that Porzinigis was going to take the Knicks to the promise-land. Porzingis quickly became a fan favorite after the “boos” that he received on his draft night.

Soon New York fans saw his talent. A seven-footer with a beautiful jump-shot, Porzingis was often compared to Dirk Nowitzki.

Sadly, Porzingis’ tore his ACL against the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2017-18 campaign. Fans were ready to watch the Knicks tank during the 2018-19 season to draft another top player to pair with the young budding star. Yet, after the Porzingis trade went down, it just left a sour taste in fans’ mouths. A true “what could have been” feeling.

What burned, even more, was that it was reported that Porzingis did not want to be in New York anymore and was demanding a trade. Those reports just fueled the anger in Knicks fans.

So needless to say, Knicks fans felt somewhat redeemed by the sweeping the Mavericks.

What would’ve made the wins much more satisfying is if all of the young guns shone during the game. Most of the heavy lifting done in these games was by the veterans – specifically Julius Randle and Marcus Morris – but the young players had their moments.

Ntilikina played well in both matchups but really stood out when in the first contest. Ntilikina had a stat line of 14 points, six rebounds, four assists, four steals, three blocks, and almost “posterizing” Porzingis.

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Mitchell Robinson had a solid outing in the second game after missing the first matchup (due to injury) by posting 16 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. Barrett had quiet games against the Mavericks but provided solid defense, showing that he knows how to contribute in other ways when he does not have it going offensively. And even Smith was able to contribute against his former team in the second matchup by tallying 13 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Nevertheless, Knicks fans were able to bask in the glory of the defeat over the Mavericks and feel somewhat vindicated for the Porzingis trade.