Tyson Chandler has big game against his old team in Mavericks' OT win over Knicks

Tyson Chandler stood near midcourt, dropped his head back and screamed after throwing down a dunk late in overtime that gave the Mavericks the lead for good against the Knicks.

Chandler downplayed what the game meant to him, but he seemed to have some extra juice after some of the back and forth that went on after his trade to the Mavericks.

He had his best game of the season and spoiled the Knicks' hopes of pulling off the upset with Carmelo Anthony sidelined with back spasms. The Knicks put up a good fight. But Chandler had season highs of 17 points and 25 rebounds and the Mavericks held off the Knicks, 109-102, in overtime last night at American Airlines Center.

"At the beginning of the year you always look at the calendar and mark it, but honestly, once you get caught up in the season, it's not as big as it's made out to be," Chandler said. "This is more important because we dropped two and we felt this is one we wanted to get."

The Knicks (4-12) had their chances in regulation and overtime, but they made too many mistakes and lost for the 11th time in 13 games.

Samuel Dalembert missed a shot from inside with 9.9 seconds left in regulation that would have given the Knicks the lead. They also committed six of their 22 turnovers in OT, including five after a J.R. Smith jumper gave them a 99-97 lead with 2:38 left. The Knicks shot 3-for-9 overall in the extra period.

"We're close," Jose Calderon said. "We're right there. We just got to keep working."

Calderon, the ex-Maverick, shot 7-for-9 from three, scored a season-high 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Smith, who started for Anthony, added 15 points. He missed his first seven shots and committed seven turnovers. But Smith forced OT with a long step-back jump shot with nine-tenths of a second remaining. "Honestly, I played terrible today overall," he said. "But I just kept playing."

Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 of his game-high 30 after halftime to lead Dallas (11-5). Nowitzki tied the score at 99 with a 17-foot jumper. After a wasted Knicks' trip, Monta Ellis missed inside. Dalembert collected the rebound, but it was knocked out of his hand. Ellis got it and fed Chandler for a big dunk with 1:37 to go to make it 101-99, leading to Chandler's primal scream.

"Tyson was amazing," Smith said. "That's the way he plays."

The Knicks committed back-to-back turnovers. The second led to a Nowitzki jump shot and a 103-99 Dallas lead with 43.9 seconds left.

The Knicks sent Chandler and Raymond Felton to the Mavericks for Calderon, Dalembert, Shane Larkin, Wayne Ellington and two second-round picks. Felton, inactive because of an ankle injury, still hasn't played. But Chandler is averaging a double-double. Calderon played just his third game after missing the first 13 with a calf injury. Dalembert and Larkin haven't been very productive.

Phil Jackson said he made the trade "to change some of the chemistry." Since Chandler was the main piece leaving the Knicks it was perceived that he was the problem.

"I just don't think I was in the future plans to be honest," Chandler said. "With new management coming in, they have a different idea, a different vision. It's not personal. If they want a certain personnel that they feel like that they want to build with for the future I completely understand that. I have no hard feelings against the Knicks."

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.