The Knicks had their season-high seven-game winning streak come to an end with Friday's 89-85 defeat to the lowly New Orleans Hornets and Lin suffered his first loss as a starter (7 games). Lin has brought a surplus amount of energy to New York and is averaging 24.6 points per game in his previous eight. He had 26 points versus New Orleans, but committed a season-high nine turnovers. Lin has turned the ball over at least six times in each of the past five games.
Dallas has ripped off six straight wins and improved to 12-4 in the past 16 contests following Friday's 82-75 come-from-behind win at Philadelphia.
After visiting the Knicks at MSG, the defending champion Mavericks will return to Big D for a three-game homestand versus the Celtics, Lakers and Nets. Dallas swept a home-and-home series with the Knicks a season ago and has won 10 of the last 11 matchups between the teams. It has also won five straight and eight of its last nine at New York.
The last time New York defeated Dallas at the Garden was Jan. 11, 2006 behind three 20-point performances from Stephon Marbury (28), Eddy Curry (21) and Jamal Crawford (25). Stoudemire paced the Knicks with 28.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in two meetings against the Mavericks in 2010-11.
