DeAndre Jordan walked right up next to Dennis Smith Jr. after Smith air-balled and then bricked free throws in ugly succession at the end of the first half. He wrapped his arm around the second-year point guard, leaned in and started talking.
Smith cracked a smile, as did Jordan. The two walked off the court, toward the locker room with the Mavericks leading a depleted Knicks roster by three. It would have been a sweet moment if the Mavericks maintained the lead and snapped their losing skid. However, at the end of a wildly brutal third quarter, the lead was gone.