DALLAS — New uniform for Kyrie Irving.
Same winning result when he plays the Knicks.
The controversial point guard and former Nets saboteur dropped 44 points, blasting whomever Tom Thibodeau assigned to guard the dribbling wizard in the Mavericks’ 128-124 wire-to-wire victory Thursday night.
Irving, who has kept a low profile since forcing his way out of Brooklyn, has won eight straight against the Knicks with a 17-2 record since 2014.
And at least on one dominant evening, Irving allowed the Mavericks to forget about their disastrous decision not to re-sign Jalen Brunson when they had an opportunity.
Still, Brunson and the Knicks almost stole a victory.
Kyrie Irving, who had 44 points and 10 assists, drives on Jalen Brunson during the Knicks’ 128-124 loss to the Mavericks. APLaunching a furious comeback in the final quarter, the Knicks cut a 10-point deficit to one in less than two minutes.
But they allowed three offensive rebounds on the game’s most critical possession, which ended with a Josh Green 3-pointer off an Irving assist with 27 seconds left and a 124-120 Dallas advantage.
OG Anunoby threw up a brick on the next possession for the Knicks (22-16) and the game was over.
Before catching fire in the final minutes, Brunson was underwhelming in his first game in Dallas as a Knick. He couldn’t match Irving’s firepower.
Julius Randle, who scored 32 points, goes up for a layup during the Knicks’ loss. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConThe circumstances were seemingly set up for a Knicks victory.
Thibodeau’s squad was riding a five-game winning streak, a stretch of utter domination since acquiring Anunoby from the Raptors.
The Mavericks were missing Luka Doncic, their borderline MVP candidate who was out with an ankle sprain.
Last season, Doncic dropped a 60-point triple-double on the Knicks here. This season, he was in street clothes.
Jalen Brunson, who scored 28 points, shoots a jumper over Kyrie Irving during the Knicks’ loss. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConDallas, besieged by injuries, had three regular starters out, while the Knicks were down only Mitchell Robinson.
But Anunoby, a defensive juggernaut since joining the Knicks, couldn’t stay in front of Irving.
And Brunson’s return to Dallas was mostly a disappointing and frustrating performance.
Beyond missing 12 of his 22 shots, Brunson, who finished with 30 points in 39 minutes, grew angry with the officiating and picked up a technical in the second quarter for complaining.
Brunson claimed on the court that he was directing his words toward Thibodeau, not referee Danielle Scott.
Tim Hardaway Jr., who scored 32 points, celebrates after hitting a shot during the Knicks’ loss. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConThen, near the end of the half, Brunson inexplicably speared Mavericks forward Grant Williams for an offensive foul.
The Knicks trailed by 19 at the break and never fully recovered.
Brunson has a complicated history with the Mavericks.
On one hand, his career took off with the franchise that drafted him.
He went from a second-round pick to a budding star.
Julius Randle grabs a rebound during the first half of the Knicks’ loss. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConHe helped elevate the franchise to its highest point since its championship in 2011, serving as Doncic’s wingman toward the 2022 conference finals.
But the breakup was ugly.
The Mavericks dropped the ball by not re-signing Brunson to a modest sum when they had the chance, then turned bitter when he bolted to the Knicks.
A tampering investigation followed and Leon Rose, a close family friend of the Brunsons, was docked a second-round pick.
Mark Cuban, the Mavs owner, publicly blamed Brunson’s father, Rick, for sabotaging free-agency negotiations.
There were plenty of reasons for Brunson to be infused with extra juice for the matchup.
But he predictably downplayed the emotions.
“Next game,” he said. “It’s just how it’s always been. No matter where it was, no matter what the situation was going to a different place to play, it’s always something you can use as extra juice. But it’s just the next place I’m excited to play. A place I’ve called home for four years. It’s special to me but it’s just another game.
Isaiah Hartenstein wasn’t quite buying it, noting that Brunson got a fresh haircut before the game.
“He might be trying to look good for the people in Dallas,” Hartenstein said before the game. “But I know it’s always something special. … He was here for a long time. Maybe he won’t show it. We’ll see what happens, but I know he got a little fresh cut.”
The new do’ didn’t help against Irving.
