The first boos inside Madison Square Garden came earlier than anyone expected. Just 4 minutes and 50 seconds into the second quarter, Cooper Flagg pushed the ball ahead in transition and finished at the rim, stretching the Dallas Mavericks’ lead to 18. The Knicks immediately called timeout, but the mood in the building had already shifted. Moments later, Max Christie rose again — unbothered, balanced — and drilled his sixth three-pointer of the first half.
The crowd reacted instantly. Not with awe, but frustration.
While the night had been billed around Flagg’s return and his first NBA appearance at Madison Square Garden, it was Christie who seized control of the stage. With every relocation, every quick-trigger release, and every shot taken without hesitation, Christie reshaped the game and powered Dallas to a 114–97 win that never felt as close as the final score suggested.
Max Christie’s Shooting Night Never Felt Forced
Christie finished with 26 points and six rebounds, knocking down a career-high eight three-pointers on 10 attempts. Eight of his nine made field goals came from beyond the arc, each one arriving within the rhythm of Dallas’ offense rather than through isolation or forced hunting.
That balance was not accidental, and it wasn’t new.
Nearly half of Christie’s shot profile this season has come as catch-and-shoot opportunities, an area where he entered the night shooting 48.4% from the field with a 72.6% effective field goal percentage. From three-point range on those looks, he has converted 48.4%, averaging 1.9 makes on 4.0 attempts per game. Madison Square Garden followed that same script.
“My teammates did a great job getting me open looks,” Christie said. “They were attacking the paint, and I was able to get loose for a couple of threes. Even without the ball, I was just trying to find my spots, find my shots, and be shot-aggressive. It felt good to get 10 threes up, and obviously making eight of them is great too.”
That aggressiveness showed up immediately. Christie sprinted into early shot windows before New York could set its coverage, punished late closeouts, and kept moving even after releasing the ball. When the Knicks tried to top-lock him, he slipped into space. When they flew at him, he stayed poised.
More than 60.0% of Christie’s attempts this season have come within two seconds of the catch, a window where he is shooting 51.4% overall and 47.7% from three. Six of his eight made threes Monday came with zero dribbles, an area where he has been especially efficient — shooting 50.8% from the field with a 72.1% effective field goal percentage.
“Getting my three-point attempts up,” Christie said. “Ten tonight was great. Regardless of making eight, I think ten attempts is a good mark for me right now. Continuing to hunt those shots. I’m shooting them pretty well, and if I can continue to get more up, that helps the team. My gravity matters too — defenses close out harder, don’t help off as much, and that gives my teammates opportunities.”
The Knicks felt that gravity without Christie ever having to force the issue. On closeouts classified as “open” — between four and six feet — Christie has shot 50.0% from the field and 47.0% from three this season. Even when defenders arrived late and scrambled from six feet or more, he entered the night converting 44.6% from three.
By halftime, Christie had already hit six threes. The Knicks adjusted after the break, denying him clean looks and forcing the ball out of his hands, but the damage had already been done.
Christie’s eighth three — which came in the third quarter — tied the franchise record for most three-pointers by a Maverick at Madison Square Garden. He didn’t know it at the time.
“No, I had no idea,” Christie said. “I’ll get more opportunities at that. I’m not worried about it.”
“You’re Unconscious”: Max Christie on Living in the Flow
When Christie is shooting like this, he says the game slows — even as everything around him speeds up.
“It’s kind of out-of-body,” Christie said. “You’re unconscious. You don’t really feel what’s going on around you. You’re just in a flow state. Your body takes over, and it’s a great feeling, and it’s a great feeling. Definitely something I’ll be chasing again.”
That feeling has become increasingly familiar — and increasingly supported by production.
Over his last nine games, Christie has averaged 18.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, while shooting 53.3% from the field and 46.9% from three-point range. Those numbers mirror what Dallas has felt internally, not just statistically.
“For me, it’s been mental — continuing to be shot-aggressive and confident in my shot,” Christie said. “Obviously, putting in the work every day helps, but for the most part it’s about being aggressive mentally, continuing to look for my shot, and having confidence in myself.”
That confidence has extended beyond pure catch-and-shoot opportunities. Entering the night, Christie was tied for 16th among 159 players with at least 50 dribble-jumper possessions, producing 1.125 points per possession on those looks — a reflection of his growing comfort attacking closeouts rather than simply avoiding them.
Flagg saw the shift in real time.
“Yeah, it was incredible,” Flagg said. “Max has been a hot player for us all year, and honestly, I think there have been times where he’s passed up some shots and hasn’t been as aggressive as we need him to be. I thought he did a great job tonight just being ready, being assertive, and you see what happens.”
Dallas Mavericks’ Pace as the Through Line
Christie repeatedly pointed to one concept when asked why Dallas’ offense has looked different over the past week.
“Pace. Playing with pace, playing for each other. Playing with speed, especially in transition, has really helped us,” Christie said. “We’re defending at a high level, but our ability to catch the ball in transition and continue to play fast has given us open looks, open threes, and opportunities to get to the free-throw line. It all starts with how fast we’re playing.”
That speed showed up early and often. On shots taken early in the shot clock — between 22 and 18 seconds — Christie entered the night shooting 60.6% from the field and 53.8% from three, with a 76.5% effective field goal percentage. Those attempts weren’t rushed; they were decisive.
That speed defined the night. Dallas never allowed New York to dictate tempo, racing into early offense and generating clean looks before the defense could load up.
“We’re defending at a high level,” Christie said, “but our ability to catch the ball in transition and continue to play fast has given us open looks, open threes, and opportunities to get to the free-throw line. It all starts with how fast we’re playing.”
Jason Kidd echoed that sentiment afterward, emphasizing how connected the group has become despite rotation changes.
“Pace. Maybe a little continuity… This group has been able to play together for a little bit,” Kidd said. “Understanding that everyone’s touching the ball — there’s no one complaining about shots. Guys are just playing basketball and playing for each other. You can see that on both ends, offensively and defensively.”
Max Christie is Learning From a Hall of Fame Blueprint
As Christie’s role has expanded, so has the attention he draws from defenses. He’s noticed the difference.
“Adapting to defenses is huge in this league. As you shoot it better, teams play you differently.” Christie said. “Hotter closeouts, more attention — being able to adapt, use shot fakes, play quick, and play in 0.5 seconds is important.”
Rather than rushing shots, he’s added counters — shot fakes, quick reads, one-dribble pull-ups — many of which Christie credits to daily exposure to Klay Thompson, one of the game’s greatest shooters.
“Klay’s such a positive guy and a great presence in the locker room. He’s a Hall of Famer — arguably the best shooter ever,” Christie said. “It’s a blessing to be around him, to soak up knowledge, observe him, feel his spirit. He’s rubbing off on me, and I can definitely give him some credit for how I’ve been shooting.”
Watching Thompson handle aggressive closeouts has helped Christie stay calm.
“It’s about reading the closeout defender. When you’re shooting at this level, you’re not always going to get easy catch-and-shoot looks,” Christie said. “Being able to get guys up in the air and create space is important. Klay’s one of the best ever at that, so watching how he does it and adding that to my game was pretty cool. Just continuing to read defenders and stay shot-aggressive.
Dallas Mavericks’ Defense Kept the Door Shut
While Christie’s shooting bent the game early, Dallas’ defense ensured it never swung back. The Knicks finished with one of their lowest scoring outputs of the season, never fully establishing offensive rhythm and rarely finding clean looks once the Mavericks built separation.
“It was probably a little uncharacteristic for them, but our defense was solid,” Christie said. “We forced them into tough shots. Anytime you can hold a team under 100 points in the NBA, that’s impressive. They missed a few, but we can take some credit for that. They’re a great team — probably not their best night — but for us, that’s a good benchmark.”
From the opening quarter on, Dallas made New York work deep into possessions. Ball pressure at the point of attack slowed entry actions, while help defenders stayed home on shooters rather than overcommitting. The Knicks rarely found the downhill lanes or paint touches that typically stabilize their offense.
Dallas consistently limited New York to one shot, a point of emphasis that allowed its guards and wings to leak out early and ignite the transition attack that defined the night. Stops quickly became opportunities, with rebounds turned into early offense before the Knicks could organize their coverage.
Dallas turned stops into rebounds, rebounds into transition, and transition into the very pace that fueled Christie’s shooting windows.
“I think it was team defense,” Flagg said. “We know who their guys are, who they want to go to. There were a lot of different guys stepping up and making plays. I thought we covered for each other really well tonight and played really good team defense.”
That connectivity allowed Dallas to stay aggressive without losing structure. When New York attempted to counter with size or mismatches, the Mavericks adjusted rather than settling into a single look.
Kidd pointed to rebounding and versatility as the stabilizing forces that kept the game from turning after New York’s early runs.
“We just tried to give them different looks. We got lucky tonight — they missed some shots they normally make,” Kidd said. “But again, rebounding the ball was big. If you give that group second and third opportunities, they’re going to make you pay.”
Those adjustments extended to personnel and matchups.
“I thought Dwight and Moussa did a really good job on KAT,” Kidd said. “We also went small on him and started Naji on him. Just trying to give different looks.”
By rotating coverages, mixing size, and staying active in passing lanes, Dallas kept New York guessing rather than comfortable.
“I thought our activity on the defensive end was really good,” Kidd said. “We came up with deflections and some steals.”
The result was a defensive performance that didn’t just complement Christie’s shooting — it protected it, ensuring the early momentum never slipped and Madison Square Garden never found its footing again.
Max Christie Owned the Moment at the Mecca
Christie has played at Madison Square Garden before. Nights like this, though, linger.
“It’s great. It’s the mecca of basketball — arguably the best arena in the world,” Christie said. “Everybody loves playing here. It felt good to have a game like that in such a special place, but most importantly, it felt good to get the win. I always look forward to playing here.”
As his numbers climb and his confidence grows, conversations naturally follow — including All-Star Weekend possibilities.
“That’d be super cool,” Christie said of the three-point contest. “A dream come true. I wouldn’t turn that down at all. If I get the nod, that’d be amazing. If not, I’m still grateful for the season I’m having so far.”
On a night when Madison Square Garden expected someone else to take center stage, Max Christie didn’t wait for permission. He took the floor, trusted his work, and let the shots — and the crowd’s reaction — tell the story.
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