NEW YORK — Round one of the Dirk Nowitzki-Kristaps Porzingis matchup delivered as advertised.
In a contest billed as the best European player in the history of the league against the upstart Latvian rookie, it was Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks who overtook Porzingis and the Knicks 104-97 Monday at Madison Square Garden.
The 7-foot-3 Porzingis, playing against his childhood idol from Germany, led the Knicks (10-12) with 28 points, one point shy of his brief career high. He single-handedly brought New York back from a 98-81 deficit with 5:52 to play by scoring eight straight points to slice the deficit to 101-97 with 43 seconds to play.
Nowitzki and guard Deron Williams closed it out by making two free throws apiece. Nowitzki topped Dallas (13-9) with 25 points and six rebounds. Williams poured in 20 points and added seven assists.
Porzingis hit 13 of 18 shots from the floor and blocked two shots. Nowitzki sank nine of 18 field-goal attempts.
Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony finished with 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds, but he committed a game-high five turnovers.
After a Nowitzki rebound, Dallas outscored the Knicks 6-2 early in the fourth quarter for a comfortable 94-74 lead with 9:48 remaining.
Dallas led by as much as 80-58 with 4:41 to play in the third, but the Knicks made an 11-2 run to draw within 82-69. Reserve center Kevin Seraphin scored four points in the run for New York.
Forward Dwight Powell scored five straight points for Dallas in the last 47 seconds of the third for an 88-72 Mavericks lead.
Dallas outscored the Knicks 18-3 from 3-point range and led 34-28 after the first quarter. Nowitzki scored 11 of the Mavericks first 13 points in the first five minutes of the game.
The Mavericks remained hot from beyond the arc in the second quarter, going 5-for-10 en route to a 63-50 halftime edge. Williams’ nine points were the high for the period.
NOTES: G J.J. Barea (sprained right ankle) and G Devin Harris (rib injury) were out for the Mavericks. … G Cleanthony Early was inactive for the Knicks. …. Dallas F Dirk Nowitzki began the night with a 25.7-point scoring average at Madison Square Garden, his highest at any NBA venue. … The Knicks were swept in two games by the Mavericks last season, marking the first time Dallas swept a season series from New York since 2010-11. … The Mavericks wore green throwback uniforms from when they first entered the league.