March 25, 2025 – New York, NY: The Dallas Mavericks suffered a 128-113 defeat to the New York Knicks on Tuesday night, allowing their opponents to shoot nearly 60% from the field and record two triple-doubles. The Mavericks struggled in the third quarter, where they were outscored 30-16. However, one player stepped up in a big way.
Naji Marshall delivered a career-best performance, scoring 38 points on 17-of-25 shooting. The undrafted forward from Xavier has been an unexpected asset for Dallas since arriving from New Orleans, but even his biggest supporters didn’t see this kind of game coming.
Marshall made history in the first half, scoring 28 points on 13-of-15 shooting. This feat placed him in elite company—joining Luka Doncic, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James as the only players since 1996-97 (when play-by-play tracking began) to make 13 field goals in a first half against the Knicks.
Additionally, per the Mavericks PR team, Marshall became one of just a few players—alongside Michael Jordan, Kevin Garnett, Chris Webber, Al Jefferson, Bison Dele, and Luis Scola—to record at least 28 points in a half while making one or fewer three-pointers and free throws.
Over the past 10 games, Marshall has averaged 22.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game, helping the Mavericks fight for a Play-In spot despite injuries throughout the roster. Aside from a persistent illness earlier in the season, he has been one of the team’s most durable players and is quickly proving to be a bargain on his three-year, $27 million contract.
