WALDRON GRAIN & FUEL

01/19 18:47 CST Cooper Flagg returns to help Mavericks blow out Knicks as boos rain down at Madison Square Garden Cooper Flagg returns to help Mavericks blow out Knicks as boos rain down at Madison Square Garden By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) --- Max Christie scored a season-high 26 points, Cooper Flagg had 18 in his first pro game at Madison Square Garden and the Dallas Mavericks rolled to a 114-97 victory Monday over the New York Knicks, who were booed frequently in the first half while falling behind by 30. The Knicks lost their fourth straight and ninth in 11 games, even with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart back from ankle injuries to return them to full strength. The Mavericks, meanwhile, are missing numerous injured players but the ones who did suit up ran the Knicks off the floor in the first half to win their third straight game. Flagg had missed the previous two, both victories over Utah, with a sprained left ankle. The No. 1 pick also had seven rebounds, while Naji Marshall scored 18 points. Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points and 18 rebounds for the Knicks, and Brunson also had 22 points. Mitchell Robinson had 12 points and 15 rebounds. The Knicks won the NBA Cup in December and were 23-9 entering their final game of the month. They have fallen to 25-18 and entered play Monday in third place in the East in coach Mike Brown's first season. The Mavericks raced to a 16-4 lead that New York cut to 31-22 after one quarter despite missing all nine 3-point attempts. Flagg scored the Mavericks' first seven points of the second quarter, and a 13-0 run gave Dallas a 51-31 lead. Towns then scored five straight, but on the next possession was called for a flagrant foul for kicking Dwight Powell in the groin area while attempting a shot. Marshall later scored nine straight points to make it 72-43 before Christie's 3 made it a 30-point blowout. The boos began during the onslaught in the second and rang out once more as the Knicks walked to the locker rooms down 75-47.

Up next Mavericks: Host Golden State on Thursday. Knicks: Host Brooklyn on Wednesday. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA