Mavericks edge Knicks 91-89, forge tie for final playoff spot

Why the Mavs won: Things got a bit tough, but the Dallas Mavericks had just enough Wednesday night to eke out a 91-89 victory over the New York Knicks at American Airlines Center.

The victory helped the Mavs forge a tie with the Houston Rockets for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot. Both teams are 37-38, but the Rockets currently own the tie-breaker because they’re 2-1 against the Mavs this season.

“It’s not like other teams are running away from us,’’ owner Mark Cuban said. “So even with the number of games we have left, if we can get on a little roll we can control our own destiny.’’

The Knicks had a chance to win the game. But Langston Galloway missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Key players: J.J. Barea led the Mavs with 26 points, and Wesley Matthews scored 16. Dirk Nowitzki finished with 11 points, and was only 5-of-23 from the field.

Key stat: The Mavs shot 41.2 percent from the field.

Records: Knicks 30-46, Mavs 37-38

This story was originally published March 30, 2016 at 10:19 PM with the headline "Mavericks edge Knicks 91-89, forge tie for final playoff spot."