The Mavericks got the win, but for Knicks’ fans Kristaps Porzingis and the future remain the story.
Porzingis went up against the man he is most often compared to — future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki — and impressed with 28 points on 13-of-18 shooting, including being 6-of-6 on contested looks (according to NBA.com). All that impressed Nowitzki himself, who said this after the game (via Ian Begley of ESPN).“He’s probably way ahead of the curve. When I was 20, I was scared to death out there. ... He’s almost averaging a double-double, so he’s way better than I was at 20. So the comparison’s probably unfair to me.
“He’s for real,” Nowitzki said after scoring a team-high 25 points for the Mavericks (13-9). “We’ve said it before. He’s tougher than you think. He’s long. He’s athletic. He can put the ball on the floor. ... The sky’s the limit for this kid, not only because he’s good but also because I heard he lives and breathes basketball. He stays in the gym, he works hard and doesn’t let all this hype here get to his head. You’ve to root for him.”