Image Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Mavericks vs Knicks: Three Takeaways as Jalen Brunson Makes Comeback to Push Knicks Past Mavericks

The Knicks handed a 113-111 defeat to the Mavericks.

Image Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, November 19, Jalen Brunson returned to court after missing two games due to an ankle injury, and it is safe to say that he had a memorable comeback. Brunson led the Knicks with 28 points as they took down the Mavericks 113-111 in NBA 2025-26 regular season game. He had three rebounds and five assists and was shooting 11-of-23 from the field and 2-of-7 from the three-point range. Karl-Anthony Towns came up with 18 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists, while Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart put up 16 points each for the side.

On the Mavs’ side, Naji Marshall and D’Angelo Russell came up with 23 points each for the hosts. Max Christie and Klay Thompson poured in 15 and 13 points, respectively.

As the defeat dropped the Mavs’ tally to 4-12 in the ongoing season while the Knicks improved to 9-5 record, let’s take a look at the key takeaways from the game.

Emotional Homecoming for Jalen Brunson

"I mean, chaos"

–– Jalen Brunson on Knicks win in Dallas 113-111 pic.twitter.com/i0UpOW4ATm
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 20, 2025

Jalen Brunson recorded his first win against his former team Dallas Mavericks, and it couldn’t get any better. He returned to action after missing two games with an ankle injury and delivered a remarkable performance. He put up 28 points with three rebounds and five assists in 35 minutes of action. Moreover, the game displayed the Knicks’ shining resilience despite 19-of-35 shooting from the free throw line and a dismal 28.6% from three.

New York Knicks End Road Woes

The New York Knicks ended their four-game losing streak on road and improved their tally to 9-5 in the ongoing season. While the team showed impeccable resilience against the hosts, their poor three-point shooting and free-throw misses highlighted key injuries such as that of OG Anunoby. On the other hand, the Mavericks outclassed the Knicks in three-point shooting (36.3%) and gave a tough competition to the winners. However, they couldn’t survive without rookie Cooper Flagg.

Mavericks Should Drop Idea of Trading Naji Marshall

Brandon Williams steals it… Naji Marshall slams it!

TIGHT game with under 5 to go on ESPN 🍿 pic.twitter.com/WeHxZ7a3xz
— NBA (@NBA) November 20, 2025

There have been rumors that the Mavericks are looking for suitable trade deals for forward Naji Marshall, and rival teams are seeing him as a realistic trade target. However, seeing the Knicks’ game, it could be said that he loves to play against the reigning conference semifinalists. Even last year, Marshall dropped his career-high performance of 38 points against the Knicks and in this game, he came up with an electric performance of 23 points on 7/11 shooting. The 27-year-old is a versatile player who knows how to handle the ball and hence, the Mavs must drop the idea of trading him.

Dallas Mavericks

Jalen Brunson

New York Knicks

Garima Ranawat

Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.