The New York Knicks (7-4) looked spent tonight against the Orlando Magic (6-6) in the second game of a back-to-back. They turned the ball over too much, missed too many shots, fell behind by 20 at halftime,
and couldn’t complete a comeback in the fourth. Final score: Magic 124, Knicks 107.
The Fightin’ Disneys outplayed New York across all four quarters, shot more efficiently from the field (49% to 44%) and three (36% to 31%), and dominated the glass (49–37). Orlando moved the ball better with 29 assists to the Knicks’ 20, and repeatedly capitalized at the free-throw line, outscoring NY 28–18 at the charity stripe. The Magic turned 14 Knicks turnovers into 20 points.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 31 points (10-of-23 FG) and a 6:3 assist-to-turnover ratio. He was a team-worst -20 in his 37 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a 15-10 double-double. The wings looked flaaattt after playing longer than they should have last night: OG Anunoby tallied eight points, four boards, two blocks, and a steal, but only attempted four shots in his 34 minutes; and Mikal Bridges played his worst game of the season, scoring six points, two assists and steals, and finishing a -19 in his 28 minutes.
The Magic had six players in double-figures, two of them off the bench (Anthony Black and Goga Bitadze). Franz Wagner led their scoresheet with 28 points, nine boards, four assists, two steals and a block. Desmond Bane added 22 points, eight assists, and four boards.
First Half
On a chilly night in NYC, the Knicks couldn’t warm up. The home team fell behind early as six first-quarter turnovers gifted Orlando 10 points. New York eventually trimmed the deficit to two, but Desmond and the Disneys had an answer every time. The visitors swung the rock with more purpose, winning the assist battle 6–1. Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson nearly carried half of New York’s scoring load as the Knicks trailed 30–23 after one.
The second quarter brought no relief. Orlando’s defense continued to jam up New York’s offense. Karl-Anthony Towns was bruised and confused, finding it difficult to reach the rim among Orlando’s long-limbed frontcourt, while the Knicks’ perimeter shooting found a cliff to fall off. The ‘Bockers converted just 22% from downtown after hitting 40% yesterday against Memphis. The Floridians built the lead to 21 even after Paolo Banchero exited with a groin injury (a tough break for Banchero on his birthday).
Franz Wagner and Bane powered a steady offensive drumbeat, mixing drives, mid-rangers, and triples. Orlando controlled the glass and turned second-chance opportunities into a steady stream of buckets. New York, meanwhile, stalled: Brunson and Towns missed a few more shots, the threes kept missing, and the turnovers kept coming. Even when the Knicks generated stops or free throws, these positive elements didn’t coalesce into a run.
By halftime, the numbers hurt the eyes. Orlando shot nearly twice as well from the field, mastered the paint 32–18, piled up 15 assists to New York’s six, and won the rebounding battle 28–19. With sharper execution and superior physicality, the Magic carried a commanding 62–42 lead into the break.
Wagner cooked through the first half, tallying 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting and netting a+17. For the Knicks, Brunson had 16.
Second Half
Orlando maintained control throughout the third quarter, matching every Knicks push and protecting a comfortable lead. New York opened with a couple of threes from Josh Hart and OG Anunoby, but Anthony Black, Franz Wagner, and Wendell Carter, Jr. all delivered timely baskets. Even when the Knicks generated stops, they couldn’t convert consistently, with Brunson and Bridges missing a string of jumpers and drives. Orlando’s bench helped steady things (hats off to Goga Bitadze and Tristan da Silva), and the Magic kept capitalizing on second-chance opportunities. Heading into the final frame, New York was still looking up from a 91-73 hole.
In quarter cuatro, the Knicks slowly tried to drag themselves up. They coughed up the ball some more, but an 18-9 run over the first half of the frame brought them with nine, thanks to a few big buckets from KAT, Clarkson, and Deuce McBride. And yet, with the Knicks in foul trouble most of the night, they played tepid defense when they really needed to tighten the screws. Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, and Wagner combined to outscore Jalen Brunson 10-6, and the score was 110-97 with three minutes to go.
Captain Clutch drew a push-off foul from Bane. The game was in reach! The Knicks were getting clobbered in the lane, though, and the refs were content to call every other. Deuce was beaten to the floor with lead pipes on an unsuccessful drive, and Bane canned a triple on the other end to make the differential 16. The clock read two minutes. Brunson drove on the next possession and, after getting hammered with two-by-fours, came up limping. He made a free throw. Mike Brown waved a white flag. Ball game.
Up Next
The Knicks host the Heat on Friday night. Rest up, Knickerbockers.
