The Knicks loved Texas so much they stayed overnight in Dallas and flew home Monday after an optional early practice. Maybe they want to bottle the water like they bottled up the Mavericks.
Weather was an issue, but the Knicks also may be trying something new as they have been poor in home games coming off a long trip to the West or Southwest.
Normally they fly home after the last game of a trip and don’t arrive until the wee hours, disrupting sleep patterns. The latest example was when they returned from their West Coast trip from Denver and laid an egg against New Orleans at the Garden on Dec. 1.
But the Knicks may want to bring back whatever they found in Texas as they played with zeal in all three games and were one clutch shot away from sweeping the trip. In the 102-100 loss in Houston, they went 1-of-7 in the final 2:20.
But their defense and rebounding in San Antonio and Sunday in Dallas were exceptional. The Knicks got the ball out of Dirk Nowitzki’s hands and rotated to the 3-point line better than they have all season. The Mavs shot a dreadful 6-of-26 from the 3-point line – which normally is the Knicks’ Achilles’ heel – and the Knicks won 92-80.
“We played defense tonight the way I know we’re capable of doing,’’ Woodson said. “Some nights shots won’t fall, we’ve had a lot of nights like that. But our defense hasn’t been consistent.’’
All the bigs were sound on the defensive end from Andrea Bargnani to Amar’e Stoudemire to especially Kenyon Martin.
But the Knicks still might have blown the Mavericks game if Iman Shumpert didn’t pop off the bench when Amar’e Stoudemire injured his hip late and supply the finishing touches to the Texas trip.
Shumpert never would have finished like that a week ago. But after going wild with 27 and 26 points in the San Antonio-Houston back-to-back, he had the confidence to shake off a quiet offensive night and make two straight big buckets. He appeared to find his confidence in the Lone Star State, and Carmelo Anthony said Shumpert looks as if he’s having fun playing again.
Shumpert beat Nowitzki on a baseline drive for a reverse after the Dallas superstar expected him to launch a 3-pointer. Then Anthony found him open on the right wing and he drilled it.
J.R. Smith may not have, the way he’s going. Smith scored seven points and played good defense, but once again he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar as Dallas television cameras showed Smith untying Shawn Marion’s sneaker as they awaited free throws.
He clearly is only happy when he’s getting in trouble. It’s semi-cute when he’s rolling and banging in big shots. It’s intolerable when he’s not. Smith can be traded Jan. 15 under a quirk in the CBA. The Sixth Man with nine lives may be onto No. 10.