The Dallas Mavericks executed the play they wanted, got the clean catch they needed, and watched a game-tying layup drop \u2014 only to have it wiped away by an offensive foul with 0.7 seconds left in a 113\u2013111 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night at American Airlines Center.<\/p>\n
Dallas played without Cooper Flagg<\/a>, Anthony Davis<\/a>, Kyrie Irving<\/a>, Dante Exum<\/a>, Ryan Nembhard<\/a>, and Caleb Martin<\/a>, falling to 4\u201312 and dropping to 3\u20139 in clutch games. No other NBA team has more than five clutch losses.<\/p>\n The decisive sequence unfolded moments after New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson<\/a> split a pair of free throws to put the Knicks ahead 113\u2013111. With no timeouts remaining, P.J. Washington<\/a> lofted a long inbound pass to Dereck Lively II<\/a> near midcourt. Lively secured the catch and immediately fired ahead to Brandon Williams<\/a>, who drove and finished through contact. The arena erupted \u2014 until the whistle sounded.<\/p>\n Officials ruled that Williams committed an offensive foul, erasing the game-tying basket and ending the Mavericks\u2019 final chance.<\/p>\n Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd<\/a> said the team executed the play exactly as intended.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat execution. Great catch,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cGreat pass by D Live and back it up to P.J. to be able to do that to D Live, and then for him to catch and then for him to find. Great execution. Tough call. Tough.\u201d<\/p>\n Dallas Mavericks Find Early Spark Behind D\u2019Angelo Russell and Naji Marshall<\/p>\n The Mavericks opened the night slowly, missing their first five shots and falling behind 5\u20130 before their bench shifted the momentum. D\u2019Angelo Russell checked in midway through the first quarter, immediately pushing the pace and drilling a pull-up three that sparked an 11\u20130 run.<\/p>\n Russell said he trusted the reads the defense allowed.<\/p>\n \u201cTake what the defense gives me,\u201d Russell said. \u201cMy teammates get in the paint and spread out. When I\u2019m open, trust my work.\u201d<\/p>\n Naji Marshall hit three first-quarter threes, including a buzzer-beater that gave Dallas a 25\u201324 lead heading into the second quarter. He said his rhythm came from simple confidence in his preparation.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I\u2019m open, just trust my work,\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n Russell and Marshall ultimately combined for 46 points off the bench, giving Dallas consistent scoring while playing without several starters.<\/p>\n New York Knicks Control the Middle Quarters with Physicality and Timely Shooting<\/p>\n The New York Knicks countered in the second quarter with physical play on the glass. Karl-Anthony Towns<\/a> finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds, while Brunson dictated half-court possessions on his way to 28 points.<\/p>\n Dallas\u2019 most dominant stretch came in the third quarter, when Max Christie<\/a>, Washington and Lively stabilized the starters long enough for Russell to direct a surge that pushed Dallas ahead by seven. But New York answered behind offensive rebounding and steady shotmaking.<\/p>\n Kidd said Dallas had enough chances to win but failed to finish the key moments.<\/p>\n \u201cWe fought to get back in and we never stopped,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cThey miss one, we execute. We had good looks. We executed down the stretch, something we\u2019ve had trouble with during the season. We had great looks that didn\u2019t go down. On the other end, we get the miss. We just can\u2019t rebound the ball. The ball bounced their way. Hart comes up with the miss layup or the block and puts it back. The ball bounced their way, but we had great opportunities; we just couldn\u2019t get the freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n Landry Shamet\u2019s Late Threes Lift New York Knicks in the Fourth Quarter<\/p>\n The most pivotal possessions came with the score tied 108\u2013108 and under three minutes left. The New York Knicks extended a possession with consecutive offensive rebounds, giving Landry Shamet the window to hit back-to-back threes \u2014 his first makes of the night \u2014 pushing New York in front 111\u2013108.<\/p>\n Kidd said Dallas knew New York would be aggressive from behind the arc.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re going to shoot a lot,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cThey have shooters \u2014 not just Shamet, but Brunson and Bridges. KA puts pressure on you because if he starts making them, he\u2019s pump faking and getting to the midrange. He did that a couple times. We understand they can shoot and are one of the best offensive teams in the league. We gave ourselves a chance to win at home. We just can\u2019t get the ball down the stretch.\u201d<\/p>\n Marshall said Dallas needed to be sharper in the final possessions.<\/p>\n \u201cMistakes. Nobody\u2019s perfect. Everybody makes them,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cWe\u2019ll figure it out.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked about the overturned layup, Marshall said the team could only move on.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a hard layup,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cRough call. That\u2019s what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n D\u2019Angelo Russell and Naji Marshall Lead Shorthanded Dallas Mavericks<\/p>\n