Jalen Brunson scored a season-high 40 points as the Knicks beat the Magic 132–120 in the NBA Cup semifinal, advancing to the tournament final behind a highly efficient, determined performance. New York
separated in the second half by consistently winning the interior and making shots, finishing the night at 61% from the floor. If this is a preview of what’s to come in the Playoffs, forgive us for making delirious SpongeBob noises.
The opening quarter was fast and furious, with Orlando edging ahead 36–33. Jalen Suggs set the tone by attacking early, while Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns established New York’s offense inside. The second quarter became a scoring duel between Brunson and Suggs, each tallying 25 by halftime. The Knicks won the frame 38–28 and carried a 71–64 lead into the break. Little by little, Orlando’s physical defense was beginning to give ground at the rim.
Hats off to Tyler Kolek, with probably his best game as a Knickerbocker. This sequence goes on the résumé:
Orlando briefly tied the game at 83 early in the third, but New York roared back with a late run to regain control. The Knicks brought a 100–92 lead into the fourth and maintained separation straight on til the buzzer. The Magic cut the margin to 116–110 late, but New York answered each swing with uppercuts in the paint and trips to the line.
Suggs appeared to injure his left hip in the second half while driving through contact. He tried to play through it but exited for good with just over seven minutes remaining in the fourth and was ruled out with a sore left hip. It was a shame to see, because Suggs was really stepping up, making up for the injured Franz Wagner. In his duel with Brunson, Suggs carried the Disneys through the first half.
Efficiency decided the game. The Knicks shot 51-of-84 while Orlando needed 97 attempts to reach 120. New York held a 70–62 edge in points in the paint, blocked seven shots, and committed fewer turnovers. Orlando shot a boatload of threes, attempting more than twice as many as New York, but hit just 31%.
For the Knicks, Brunson was brilliant again. He finished with 40 points on 16-of-27 shooting and eight assists, directing the offense throughout. Towns added 29 on 9-of-11 shooting, including 2-of-4 from three, and committed zero turnovers. OG Anunoby scored 24 on 8-of-13, drilled three of four threes, and added six rebounds, and four assists. Mikal Bridges chipped in 16 points on efficient shooting in 43 minutes, while Josh Hart had 12 points, six rebounds, and six assists, despite an off night from three and fouling out.
Play of the game? Maybe. Watch Jalen drop Anthony Black here:
From the bench, Mitchell Robinson had just five points but grabbed nine rebounds in 17 minutes, continuing his recent trend of a board roughly every two minutes. Kolek contributed four points and four assists as a distributor, and finished with a team-high net rating of +18. Jordan Clarkson was lost in the sauce, trying just three shots for two points in 13 minutes.
For Orlando, Paolo Banchero scored 25 on 10-of-22 shooting but went 0-for-7 from three and committed five turnovers. Wendell Carter Jr. was efficient with 14 points on six shots and no turnovers. Desmond Bane finished with 18 points, seven assists, and six rebounds but needed 17 attempts to get there. Suggs led the way with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting before the injury limited him. Anthony Black contributed on the glass and as a passer but struggled with efficiency and ball security. The Magic bench offered brief scoring bursts but little sustained offense.
Next up: The Cup finals on Tuesday against the (What? Not the Thunder??) Spurs. Meanwhile, here’s your Defensive Player of the game and his size 20 feet:
