@
Wednesday, Jan. 11
7:30pm
Radio: ESPN 1050
TV: NBALP, MSG
Knicks seek fifth straight win
Preview:The New York Knicks continue to maintain their New Year's resolution to play better in 2006.
Unbeaten in January, the Knicks look for their fifth consecutive victory Wednesday in their first encounter of the season with the Dallas Mavericks.
After finishing 2005 with 21 losses in 28 games, the Knicks are averaging 116.3 points during the winning streak, their longest since January 30-February 8, 2004.
Jamal Crawford scored 20 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and Stephon Marbury added 22 for the Knicks, who snapped a five-game road losing streak with Tuesday's 92-84 win over Cleveland.
Dallas has won five of its six and is one game behind first-place San Antonio in the Southwest Division.
Jason Terry had a career-high seven 3-pointers and scored 30 points and Dirk Nowitzki added 26 for the Mavericks in Monday's 104-102 victory over Boston. The Mavs made 12-of-22 shots from the arc.
Dallas has averaged 110 points in seven straight victories over the Knicks, outscoring them by an average of nearly 16 points. Nowitzki has dominated New York, averaging 27 points and 10 rebounds during the streak.
FINAL SCORE
Knicks - 115
Mavs - 117
Box Score
Knicks Hang On, Take Down Dallas
Recap:The New York Knicks remained perfect in 2006 by being virtually perfect at the line.
Stephon Marbury scored 28 points, Jamal Crawford added 25 and the Knicks made 30 straight free throws as they scrambled for a 117-115 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, who had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Eddy Curry added 21 points for the Knicks, who squandered an 18-point lead and trailed in the final minute of regulation but pounded the backboards and recovered for their season-high fifth straight win as they overcame 32 points by Dirk Nowitzki.
A three-point play by Curry and a tip-in by Antonio Davis gave the Knicks a 112-109 lead with 2:34 to play. New York had 28 offensive rebounds to 27 defensive rebounds for Dallas.
Nowitzki answered with a tying 3-pointer at the 1:47 mark, but Davis drew a foul and made both free throws to give the Knicks the lead for good at 114-112 with 1:27 left.
After a series of empty possessions, Crawford, who missed a pull-up jumper late in regulation, drove and drew another foul. His two free throws gave the Knicks 30 in a row from the line and made it 116-112 with 11 seconds to play.
Crawford split a pair of foul shots with 4.8 seconds remaining, which rendered Jason Terry's running 3-pointer meaningless.
Davis had 11 points and nine boards - seven offensive - for the Knicks, who shot just 41 percent (40-of-97) but held an overall 54-37 advantage on the glass as they ended a seven-game slide in the series. New York made 31-of-33 free throws.
Terry scored 20 points and Josh Howard added 18 and nine rebounds for the Mavericks, who won Monday at Boston on a buzzer-beater by Jerry Stackhouse but could not repeat the feat at the end of the fourth quarter.
New York improved to 3-1 in overtime while Dallas fell to 3-2.
Terry and Nowitzki drained 3-pointers in a 13-0 surge that pulled the Mavericks within 88-85 with 8:05 left. A jumper by Marbury gave the Knicks a 101-97 advantage with 3:01 to go, but Devin Harris drove for a layup and Terry and Nowitzki sank jumpers to give Dallas a 103-101 lead with 1:32 to play.
Curry's follow shot tied it before Terry's drive with 37 seconds remaining reclaimed the lead for Dallas. Marbury drove for the tying layup with 10 seconds to play, and Nowitzki missed a jumper and a 3-pointer around Crawford's miss, setting up overtime.
The Knicks hit the boards hard in the first half, opening a 63-48 lead behind 15 points from Marbury and 14 from Curry.
