New York has dropped eight games in a row, the longest active losing streak in the Eastern Conference.

The game was a matchup of two of the 10 worst teams in the NBA, according to their records. Dallas improved to 22-46, including 8-24 on the road. New York fell to 24-44, including 1-15 in the past 16 games.

Knicks reserve forward Michael Beasley scored 19 of his 21 points in the first half. He was scoreless in the third quarter when the Mavericks outscored New York 26-12.

Tim Hardaway Jr. added 19 points for the Knicks.

Dallas forward Dorian Finney-Smith made his first start since Oct. 21. It was just his second game overall since Nov. 12, as he had been sidelined due to a leg injury. He finished with three points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes.

New York returned center Enes Kanter (back) and power forward Lance Thomas (thumb) to the starting lineup after each missed one game. Kanter had three points and 15 rebounds in 21 minutes. Thomas scored three points in 23 minutes.

Knicks reserve point guard Trey Burke played despite a wrist injury and finished with 16 points in 15 minutes.

The Knicks shot 66.7 percent in the first quarter, had a 13-4 edge in rebounds and a 16-8 advantage in paint points. They also held Dallas to 45.5 percent shooting yet led just 31-29 after the period.

New York maintained its three-point lead and went into the break with a 60-57 lead. Beasley made 9 of 10 shots from the floor in the first half. As a team, the Knicks shot 62.8 percent for the half.

Dallas came alive in the third quarter, taking an 83-72 lead thanks to eight points each from Barnes and Yogi Ferrell. The Mavericks also turned things around in paints points, gaining a 10-4 edge. Dallas was also plus-five on rebounds in the quarter.

The Mavericks held on in the fourth for the win, and a key factor was their 14 3-pointers in the game, on 35 attempts. The Knicks were 8 of 25 on 3-point tries.

Overall, New York outshot Dallas 48.8 percent to 44.9 percent from the floor.

--Field Level Media