Dallas (2-7) can point to a lackluster defense that has allowed opponents to reach the 100-point mark in four of its last five games as a reason for its poor start.

Giving up 99.4 points per game, the Mavericks rank in the bottom third of the league in that category. That's in contrast with the last three seasons when they finished among the league's top seven teams in points allowed.

The Mavericks came into this season with eight straight playoff appearances, but new coach Rick Carlisle has Dallas on its longest losing streak in eight years. The Mavs, who are off to their worst start since beginning 1-8 in 1998-99, last dropped six straight from Feb. 29 to March 9, 2000.

They nearly ended their skid Friday against the Orlando Magic, but let a 15-point lead in the second half slip away in a 102-100 loss. One night earlier, Dallas blew an early 19-point lead in a 98-91 loss at Chicago.

"Once you're in a funk, everything seems to go against you," said Dirk Nowitzki after Friday's loss. "I think once we get a win, the bounces will go our way. ... Losing streaks are never fun to go through, but it's better to go through it in November than January or later."

If history is an indication, the Knicks (6-3) could be the cure for Dallas' ills. They have lost 12 of their past 13 meetings with the Mavericks and five of their last six in Madison Square Garden.

However, New York is off to its best start since going 8-3 to begin 1998-99. The Knicks nearly made history of a different kind under new coach Mike D'Antoni on Friday night.

In a 116-106 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York almost matched a franchise record for the largest blown halftime lead when a 25-point advantage at intermission shrank to seven late in the fourth quarter.

Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph each scored 29 points, and combined for 12 over the final five minutes. David Lee also contributed a season-high 18 points.

"The way we play, teams can come back and get hot, or we can get cold, and that's what we did tonight," Randolph said. "But all the guys played hard and we finished the game out."

Randolph comes into Sunday's game on a streak of seven straight double-doubles after grabbing a season-best 19 rebounds Friday. He has recorded a double-double in his last two games against the Mavericks.

The team's leading scorer, Crawford is averaging a career-best 21.9 points this season after establishing a career high last season with 20.6. He has topped 20 points twice in 10 career meetings with Dallas, averaging 13.7 points.