Knicks Vs. Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki Scores 28 As Dallas Wins, 95-85

Knicks Vs. Mavericks: New York's Rally Falls Short As Dirk Nowitzki Finishes Strong

Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points Tuesday to lead the Mavericks over the visiting Knicks, 95-85. Despite the final score, the game was actually close down the stretch, with the Knicks clawing back from a 19-point hole in the second half to briefly take a one-point lead with five minutes remaining. Dallas scored the next 14 points, however, and Nowitzki finished the quarter with 11 points to put the game on ice.

With the Mavericks missing Brendan Haywood to a sprained ankle, the Knicks were able to score 44 points in the paint. Amar'e Stoudemire led New York with 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting to go with seven rebounds. Jeremy Lin struggled shooting the ball, finishing 4-of-13 from the field, but still managed to score 14 points with seven assists. Tyson Chandler, who received his 2010-11 NBA championship ring before the game, had a quiet homecoming with just six points and eight rebounds.

Carmelo Anthony was never able to get on track, playing less than 31 minutes while scoring a paltry six points on 2-of-12 shooting. Mike D'Antoni opted to leave his star forward on the bench for the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter, during which time the Knicks eliminated an 11-point deficit and briefly took the lead. Anthony's return coincided with the bulk of Dallas' game-clinching run.

For the Mavs, Rodrigue Beaubois was a spark plug off the bench, scoring 18 points in less than 20 minutes. Jason Kidd added 15 points and six assists.

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Knicks Vs. Mavericks: Brendan Haywood Out, Tyson Chandler Will Play Hurt

The New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks are dealing with injuries to their big men ahead of their game on Tuesday night. Mavericks center Brendan Haywood will sit out with a sprained left ankle, while Tyson Chandler will attempt to play hurt for New York. Chandler is dealing with a wrist injury, but according to Mike D'Antoni, he can play through it.

"It's tough to heal real quick with the blood flow and everything. Just have to fight through it. It shouldn't get worse if he doesn't get hit and hopefully he'll get through it."

There's a chance that Chandler could be in some serious pain if he takes a nice shot to his wrist. If he has to miss time, the Knicks are going to seriously miss his rebounding and interior defense. The same goes for the Mavs with Haywood. Their backup center options aren't appealing and they're likely to play with a smaller lineup for good chunks of the time that Haywood is out.

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Knicks Vs. Mavericks: Tyson Chandler Returns To Dallas

Tyson Chandler will receive his 2010-11 NBA championship ring when his New York Knicks visit the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.