The Knicks (16-7) defeated the Orlando Magic (14-10) by a final score of 106-100 on Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.
Here are the key takeaways…
— The Knicks were without Karl-Anthony Towns, as the big man was ruled out before tipoff due to calf tightness. Towns, who went for 35 points and 18 rebounds against Charlotte on Wednesday night, is the team’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, so the Knicks were obviously missing a very important piece.
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With Towns out, Mitchell Robinson started alongside the usual starting group.
— Franz Wagner, Orlando’s leading scorer on the season averaging 23.4 points per game, went down hard in the first quarter. On an alley-oop attempt, Wagner was fouled by Ariel Hukporti and landed awkwardly, appearing to injure his left knee or ankle. Wagner had to be helped to the locker room, putting no weight on his left leg.
The Knicks then suffered a potentially critical injury of their own in the third quarter, when Miles McBride went down and ended up limping off the floor. McBride, who has been an absolute spark for the Knicks this season, had four points and two assists in 21 minutes.
— Coming off a 33-point night against Utah, Jalen Brunson led the charge for the Knicks once again. Playing at an MVP-level this season, Brunson had 16 points and five assists in the first quarter alone, attacking the rim and playing well in the mid range. The Knicks led by four points at the end of the first quarter. After getting a rest to start the quarter, Brunson ended up going scoreless in the second frame, as both teams dialed up their defense.
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After a back-and-forth first half, the Knicks started the second half on a 9-0 run and went on to outscore the Magic 28-18 in the quarter, with Brunson scoring 10 points.
The All-Star guard finished with 30 points and nine assists.
— OG Anunoby, playing in his second game back from injury, once again had his minutes limited. But when he was on the floor, he was in All-Star form, finishing with 21 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in just under 28 minutes. His fourth three of the game came early in the fourth quarter, pushing the Knicks’ lead to 16 points. Anunoby was a difference-maker on both sides of the floor.
–The story of the game for Orlando, even before Wagner left the game, was attacking the Knicks in transition. Orlando players beat the Knicks down the floor after made baskets multiple times early on, but the Knicks’ defense adjusted and stifled the Magic, holding them to 38.3 percent shooting on the game. Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Anthony Black, and Paolo Banchero all finished in double digits, but it wasn’t enough.
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— With Towns out and Robinson dealing with some foul trouble, Josh Hart stepped up and was all over the glass. The veteran finished the game with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Hukporti also gave the Knicks some strong minutes off the bench, finishing with six points, seven rebounds, and three blocks.
— The Knicks have now won eight of their last nine games, and are now 2.5 games behind Detroit for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Game MVP
Anunoby, whose two-way play, even in limited minutes, played a huge role in the New York victory.
Highlights
Upcoming schedule
The Knicks will take on the Raptors in Toronto on Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m.
