GDT: Mavs @ Knicks 6:30PM CST

[BPo001]

Early tip off tonight. CP should be back after sitting out last night. Barea and Harris out. I'm excited to watch Dirk take KP to school with a series of shot fakes and spins like he has done to so many young players throughout his career.

NEW YORK — Utilizing a career night from prized offseason signee Wesley Matthews, the Dallas Mavericks bounced back from a disappointing showing on their home floor with a statement win Sunday on the road over the Washington Wizards.

Now, the Mavericks (12-9) will try to keep the momentum going, concluding a back-to-back and a stretch of 10 of 13 outings on the road in the Big Apple in a matchup against the up-and-coming New York Knicks.

Looking to atone for a 1-of-9 showing during Friday night’s 100-96 loss at home to the Houston Rockets, Matthews came out aggressively Sunday in the nation’s capital. The sharpshooter then found a rhythm in the second half after going 2 of 9 from the field entering the intermission, finishing with a career-high 36 points on 12-of-23 shooting to power the Mavericks to a 116-104 victory.

Still, despite setting a career-best mark and tying George McCloud’s franchise record for three-pointers in a game after connecting on 10 of 17 from long range, Matthews says he must come out aggressively again Monday night against the New York defense in order to send the Mavs back to Dallas on a high note.

“It felt good,” a modest Matthews said following his career night. “You know, my teammates were finding me, and it’s one of those nights where the same shots I’ve been shooting were falling. They kept finding me, and I kept letting it fly.

“I’ve still got to do it again (Monday). You know, I’m not saying I’ve got to go make 10 threes or whatever, but I have to be effective and shots have to fall. And I still have to be aggressive. That might not be the three. You know, maybe it will be slashing and attacking, making plays other ways.”

Opting to rest small forward Chandler Parsons as he continues to work his way back to 100 percent following a hybrid microfracture knee surgery this offseason, the Mavericks certainly needed Matthews to step up as they also played a fifth straight game minus backup guard J.J. Barea (sprained right ankle). The Mavs then lost sixth man Devin Harris due to a rib injury after he collided with rookie teammate Justin Anderson in the first half of Sunday’s contest, picking up the slack for their injury-riddled backcourt with six scorers in double figures.

Parsons is likely to return to the lineup Monday night, but the Mavericks could continue to play minus the services of Barea and Harris. The Mavs will now try to keep the momentum going against the Knicks (10-11), who are still reeling after Saturday’s 106-91 loss in Milwaukee. And after seeing the Dallas offense shoot 50 percent from the field as a team for the first time in seven games, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle hopes his squad can carry the offensive success over one night later.

“The effort was terrific. You know, our whole team was due for a shotmaking night, and Wes led the way,” Carlisle said after the Mavericks hit 16 of 31 from behind the three-point arc during Sunday’s win.

“You know, you’ve just got to hang in,” the coach added. “We just felt like we could hang around and give ourselves a chance, and a lot of guys contributed to us winning the game.”

Note: The Mavericks will now conclude their back-to-back on the road, traveling to New York for a matchup against the Knicks. The game will tip off Monday at 6:30 p.m. CT and will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest.

The Mavs return to American Airlines Center on Wednesday, hosting the Atlanta Hawks. That game will tip off at 8:30 p.m. CT, airing nationally on ESPN and locally on Fox Sports Southwest. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting Mavs.com, or by calling (214) 747-MAVS.