Knicks look tired in loss to Mavs

DALLAS -- There would be no last-second heroics from Carmelo Anthony or anyone else this time. What the Knicks needed on this night wasn't a great finish but a good start. Instead, they were blown out early in a 127-109 loss to the Mavericks Thursday night at American Airlines Center.

And now they might lose Amar'e Stoudemire with a one-game suspension after he was whistled for his 16th technical foul of the season, although he is hopeful it will be rescinded.

After two games of red-hot shooting, the percentages -- and the exhausting schedule -- caught up with the Knicks, who missed 14 of their first 18 shots and fell behind by 24 points in the second quarter. On a game nationally televised on TNT, the Knicks yielded 72 points in the first half, a season high for an opponent and a season high for the Mavericks. That had to have Charles Barkley, one of the Knicks' loudest critics, snickering.

Each team played its fourth game in five nights, though the Mavericks were coming off a frustrating loss at New Orleans in which they blew a seven-point lead in the final 52 seconds. Rick Carlisle had called his team soft, which had his players angry. They took out their frustrations on the Knicks, who, after Wednesday night's last-second win in Memphis on Anthony's buzzer-beater, didn't play with any sense of urgency.

"I just don't think we had enough energy,'' Mike D'Antoni said. "We played seven games in 10 nights but that happens sometimes . . . We were just flat at the beginning and it got away from us.''

The Knicks trailed by 26 points in the third quarter but managed to make it somewhat respectable by the end, closing to within 11 with less than four minutes left. But that was too big a hill to climb.

Stoudemire had 36 points to lead the Knicks (34-30), who had their winning streak snapped at three games. Anthony had 18 points, shooting 5-for-15, and added 10 rebounds and five assists.

Landry Fields added 19 points and Toney Douglas had 18 points, eight assists and no turnovers in 37:35.

Dirk Nowitzki had 23 points, Shawn Marion 22 and Jason Terry 21 to lead the Mavericks (47-18). To add some insult to the night, Knicks castoff Corey Brewer, who was placed on waivers after being acquired in the Anthony trade, had his best game since signing with the Mavericks with seven points, four assists and two steals.

The Knicks played their sixth straight game without Chauncey Billups (deep thigh bruise), but the veteran point guard is expected to be back for Sunday's game against the Indiana Pacers.

The question is, will Stoudemire be available for that game? He was whistled for a technical with 9:37 left in the second quarter, which was his 16th of the season and means an automatic one-game suspension.

But the NBA might rescind this one. It seemed to be an overzealous call by referee Bennett Salvatore, who hit both Stoudemire and Mavericks center Brendan Haywood with double-technicals for exchanging shoves after Fields made a three-pointer.

D'Antoni was so infuriated by the call that he was assessed his second technical foul of the season.

Shortly afterward, during a television timeout, Stoudemire and Haywood joked with Salvatore about the call and told the veteran official that they were friends and that there was no animosity between them. Salvatore laughed and shrugged, which is an indication that the NBA, which reviews all technicals, could rescind the call and restore Stoudemire's tally to 15.

"It really wasn't that bad,'' Stoudemire said. "Me and Brendan are good friends and we showed it on the court . . . I think it'll be a play that hopefully will be rescinded.''

Stoudemire started off the game 1-for-7 from the field and with little energy, especially on defense. He went to the bench early after suffering a stinger in his left shoulder but immediately returned and showed no ill effects. He said the shoulder, which has troubled him at times this season, is "still a little sore.''

With Stoudemire ineffective early, the Mavs dominated the Knicks inside with nine offensive rebounds, 19 second-chance points and 30 points in the paint.