DALLAS — A whistle saved the Knicks from an embarrassing defeat.
Mavericks guard Brandon Williams appeared to hit the game-tying bucket in the final seconds Wednesday, but he was called for hooking defender Landry Shamet, and the Knicks escaped American Airlines Center on Wednesday with a 113-111 nailbiter.
Shamet, in the end, became the unlikely hero.
OFFENSIVE FOUL SEALS THE GAME! Brandon Williams was called for an offensive foul for hooking Landry Shamet on what could have been a game-tying layup, or game-winning and-1! 😳🍿
New York beat Dallas, 113-111!
Did the refs get it right? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/kuzr9NnUmF
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) November 20, 2025
Facing a terrible and undermanned Mavericks squad, the Knicks found themselves in a tight battle and needing big buckets — and Shamet came through.
The veteran guard, who has occupied a consistent starting role despite joining the team on a nonguaranteed contract, knocked down a pair of treys in the final 62 seconds, including the go-ahead shot with about 30 ticks remaining.
Guard Landry Shamet (44) is congratulated by teammate Josh Hart (3) during the Knicks’ 113-111 win over the Mavericks on Nov. 19, 2025 in Dallas. AP
Still, Shamet and his teammates nearly blew it. Shamet clanked two potential game-sealing free throws with 22 seconds left. Then Mitchell Robinson flubbed a pair from the foul line. And then Jalen Brunson, returning to the lineup, converted just 1 of 2.
It left the Knicks a disappointing 1 for 6 from the charity stripe in the final 30 seconds, providing Dallas life. After Brunson’s final free throw, the Mavericks got the inbounds pass to Williams, who clearly hooked Shamet on the drive and didn’t get away with it.
The tying bucket went in but didn’t count.
Jalen Brunson reacts after hitting a 3-pointer as D’Angelo Russell (left) heads back up court during the first half of the Knicks’ win over the Mavericks. AP
So the Knicks (9-5) backed into an unimpressive win. But at least they pulled it out on the road, where they improved to 1-4.
Brunson dropped a game-high 28 points in his return from a two-game absence because of a sprained ankle, an injury sustained in garbage time of a loss to the Magic.