Quentin Grimes began his NBA career in New York and became a popular and respected player during his three-plus seasons with the Knicks.

On Wednesday, he paid his respects by carving up his old team like a Thanksgiving turkey.

Grimes harassed the Knicks on both ends of the court as the Mavericks got a big boost from their new energizer and cruised to a 129-114 victory at American Airlines Center.

It wasn’t a big numbers night for Grimes, although he did finish with 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one steal.

But it was the team-high plus 16 that the Mavericks enjoyed when Grimes was on the court that stood out. And his stubborn defense, which set a bad tone in the first half when the Mavericks took a 46-22 lead and the Knicks just couldn’t find a way to put the ball in the basket.

“I didn’t really have any juice left,” Grime said of watching his former teammates play. “It’s just the way things worked. I’m pretty familiar with their plan and it was good to go out and get a good win. I feel really good. Whenever someone is out, it’s a bigger opportunity for us to play a bigger role.”

PJ Washington, who flirted with a triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, was a little more candid about what Grimes probably thought about the game against his former team.

“I’m happy for him. He had a great game,” Washington said. “Of course you want everyone to have a great game against their old team. He was aggressive and we need that from him every night. A big confidence boost for him and everyone else.”

Grimes came into the starting lineup in place of Luka Dončić, who remained sidelined with a sprained right wrist. Grimes came into the game with a nice mix of offense and defense that ran through the Mavericks, who won for the sixth time in seven games and improved to 11-8 on the season. The Knicks fell to 10-8.

Grimes was coming off an illness that made its way into the locker room and kept him out of Monday’s game in Atlanta.

But he returned with a vengeance.

“Q has come through the illness great,” said coach Jason Kidd. “We were a little worried about his energy level but I think when you play against your old team it gives you a bit more momentum.

“I thought he was great on the ball defensively and offensively, he was really, really good. He was really, really good as a starter, which gives us the flexibility to put him in the starting lineup if he gets injured or sick and continues to move forward.”

Grimes led a defense that limited the Knicks to 26.2 percent shooting in the first half, including just 2 of 16 from three-pointers (12.5 percent).

One sequence in particular encapsulated the evening for Grimes as he hit a three-pointer, defended the Knicks’ possession on the other side and secured the rebound, only to knock OG Anunoby to the ground moments later with a crossover move that made an easy one Layup and an easy layup gave the Mavericks a 38-20 lead early in the second quarter.

After that, it was mostly just window dressing for the Mavericks. The Knicks trailed by as many as 24 points and never got closer than 12 in the second half.

The Mavericks had four players in the top 20 points: Naji Marshall had 24, Kyrie Irving 23 and Spencer Dinwiddie 21 in addition to Grimes. Plus, PJ Washington had 19.

It wasn’t the first time Grimes played against New York, which traded him to Detroit last season. One of the six games Grimes played for the Pistons after the deal was against New York. He scored 14 points.

But on Wednesday he was far more effective. Grimes has found a new home in Dallas and has proven to be an all-rounder both off the bench and starting, as he did on Wednesday.

Grimes made four of eight three-point shots against his former team.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau became a big fan of Grimes during his time with the Knicks. And it doesn’t surprise him that the 6-5 Houston native quickly found success in Dallas.

“The most important thing for Quentin is his health,” Thibodeau said. “He is an elite defender. He can shoot the ball. He’s great in transition. He’s a really good player.

“Like most players, he brings more experience every year. He’s a fitness buff, so he’s getting better and better. He has to learn from his teammates, but I think this is a great system for him. He is a great player and also a great person.”

It was a nationally televised matchup between two respected teams on ESPN. The Knicks are among the favorites in the Eastern Conference, similar to the Mavericks in the West.

The difference is that New York has a big hurdle in Boston, the reigning NBA champions. Other than the Celtics, no other team in the East is considered far superior to the Knicks.

In the West, the Mavericks have several big dogs they must fend off if they want to return to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Celtics in five games.

On this night, the first half was a prime example of the perceived difference in strength between West and East. Remember, the Knicks won in Denver on Monday.

“It was a good win for our team,” Kidd said. “We got off the road – those are sometimes the hardest games when you come off a road trip and have a game at home and then go back on the road and start thinking ahead. It’s a nice win against a really good team.”

It was a reunion of sorts for Jalen Brunson, the former Maverick who helped them to the 2022 Western Conference Finals. And Brunson had an outstanding game with 37 points.

But this was Grimes’ night to shine. He finished the game with 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal and was clearly the catalyst for the Mavericks, who were plus-16 when Grimes was on the floor. He led the team in this department.

@ESefko