The world champion Knicks (0-3) hosted the Magic (1-2) at Madison Square Garden. The victory seemed almost assured, given that Orlando was playing without their star, Paolo Banchero, and the champs were feeling—let’s not say desperate, but certainly eager to notch one in the win column. Their terrible shooting from the lines—the three-point arc and free-throw line—let the guests stay close all night, and faulty fourth quarter defense sank our heroes, 111-102.
As with most stories, this one started
differently than it ended. Making half their shots, the Knicks dropped ten unanswered points to start the game while the Disney’s missed their first eight attempts from the field. Frustrations boiled over when OG Anunoby plowed over screening Wendell Carter, Jr. After the barking teams were separated, Anunoby received a flagrant-one foul. That started a run, with four points by Anthony Black to halve the lead. This was Black’s season debut, after missing time due to injury.
Coach Mike Brown was determined to deploy all of his offensive weapons. Karl-Anthony Towns facilitated the offense to start the game, Jalen Brunson took the reins on the next possession, and then OG Anunoby had a chance to penetrate with the ball, kicking out to Josh Hart on the far side. They tried that last play a seccond time to lesser effect, but it smacked of a one that they intend to make a fixture of their repertoire.
Towns sat at the midway mark after fouling Franz Wagner on a screen. Andre Drummond (4 PTS, 3 RBS, 7 MIN) relieved him. The Knicks misfired repeatedly from deep, but stayed ahead by dominating in the paint and on fast breaks. With the Magic stumbling and bumbling, the homers went up by 12 before finishing the quarter, 28-21.
KAT was at it again to start the second, laying out Jamal Cain on a screen for another foul. Love the player, hate the goofs. That brought Drummond back out. Reunited with the Magic, veteran Nikola Vučević laced a triple and led a comeback to tie the game. Tyler Kolek saw extended time because Jose Alvarado sat out with a sprained ankle. Kolek played hard, if not necessarily well.
Orlando’s Jalen Suggs took a rebound coast-to-coast, dribbling past four defenders for a waltz to the cup. With such whimsical resistance, we understood why James Wiseman got the call two minutes later. Luckily, the Floridians were too sloppy to make serious headway against New York’s general mediocrity, and back-to-back buckets by Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet helped preserve the advantage.
Once or twice in the half, Josh Hart secured a rebound and rifled it long to a racing teammate for an advantage at the other end. His usual receiver, BFF Brunson, scored to give the hosts a seven-point lead deep in the period. That sequence is a crowd pleaser and, with Jalen’s ability to finish at the rim, almost guaranteed points. Meanwhile, Wiseman played well in his limited appearance, with a board, a block, and defensive intensity in the paint. Could there be a little Mitchell Robinson in that fella? If you squint?
You’d expect the team with a 28-12 advantage in the paint, twice as many offensive rebounds (8-4), and half their opponent’s turnovers (10-5) would have quite a lead by halftime, but the world champs were only up 52-48 at intermission. Orlando’s deep shooting (42%) was much better than New York’s (25%), to the tune of about 18 points. The Knicks’ offense stalled in the second quarter, making just nine of 29 shots after shooting 52% in the first. Extra possessions kept them afloat, but a better team would have really given them the bootheel. Through the half, Black led all scorers with 12. KAT had 11.
Out of the break, our heroes were led by Brunson and Towns, riding nine unanswered points to a 10-point lead. Towns blocked Wagner at the rim, and Orlando shot themselves in the sneaker with consecutive turnovers by Carter and Richardson, plus an offensive foul and technical for Carter. However, the game swung again on two bad passes by Towns, a charge by Hart, and two blanks by Bridges.
We figured Desmond Bane might receive more touches after halftime. The walking muscle helped keep Orlando within reach, assisting Jase Richardson’s (no relation) opening three and Carter’s jumper before adding a pull-up jumper and his own three. That three followed a Towns turnover and capped a quick 6–0 response that trimmed New York’s lead to four. He also committed a turnover and fouled Anunoby for two free throws, finishing his stint with five points and two assists. Tristan Da Silva shot fireballs off the bench, contributing a quick eight points, and Black’s trey brought Orlando within one. Kolek steadied the Knicks with assists on a Towns layup and Hart’s three, restoring a 75-69 cushion. But Vooch’s hook at the buzzer brought the score to 75-71 as we steered into the fourth.
Towns, Anunoby, and Kolek synergized in the final frame, with the two starters passing the 20-point mark and Kolek dishing nine dimes (and no turnovers). After Kolek fouled Wagner at the hoop, Brunson replaced him with about eight minutes left. Meanwhile, Anunoby scored five-straight points, but Wiseman fouled Wagner, too, giving the German two freebies that completed an 11-point swing. Franz had 15 points and counting in the fourth alone, and the Disneys took their first lead of the night.
Hart answered at the other end. During an important stretch in the middle of the period, Mike Brown went with Brunson, Shamet, Bridges, Hart, and Wiseman. Drummond had yet to see the court in the second half. Read into that what you will. At the same time, the Knicks were shooting a woeful 8-of-33 after Hart missed two more threes.
Needing an offensive injection, Brown sent Towns back in, and he attacked the rim against the Magic’s smaller frontcourt. Bane delivered the bigger shot, however: a 26-footer that put his squad up 94-91 with under five remaining. Jalen Brunson missed his sixth attempt from deep, Black made one for a six-point lead, and what should have been a routine win looked anything but with three minutes left.
After a timeout, Brunson and Wagner traded buckets, then Cap threw the ball away. Suggs charged the basket at the other end and popped something in his knee. He was helped to the locker room. Prayers up for him.
Brunson missed a pair of free throws, Anunoby missed two, as well, and the hosts trailed by 10 with 1:21 left. Cap scored seven points in the final minute, but Orlando made their free throws and New York couldn’t catch up. Ballgame.
Up Next
Mo’s in the lab, perfecting a recap. Detroit visits NYC on Tuesday. Rest up, Knickerbockers.
