The world champion Knicks slid to an unbelievable 0-3 record after falling 111-102 to the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden. This was a tough one, especially considering Orlando was playing without their star, Paolo Banchero. The champs were absolutely looking for a win, but their terrible shooting, both from beyond the arc and the free-throw line, kept the Magic in it all night. Then, a complete breakdown in fourth-quarter defense sank them. Ouch.
First Quarter Fire (Then Flop)
It started off promising, right? The Knicks made half their shots and dropped ten unanswered points, while the Magic missed their first eight attempts from the field. It felt like they were finally going to get that first W. But then, the frustrations boiled over. OG Anunoby plowed right over Wendell Carter Jr. on a screen, and after both teams got into it, Anunoby was hit with a flagrant-one foul. That sparked a run for Orlando, with Anthony Black, making his season debut after missing time with injury, chipping in four quick points to halve the lead. Coach Mike Brown was clearly trying to get everyone involved offensively early on. Karl-Anthony Towns facilitated, Jalen Brunson ran the next possession, and OG Anunoby even got a chance to penetrate and kick out to Josh Hart. They tried that last play again, so you know they want that in their playbook. Towns sat at the midway mark after fouling Franz Wagner on a screen, bringing Andre Drummond (4 PTS, 3 RBS, 7 MIN) off the bench to relieve him. Despite repeatedly misfiring from deep, the Knicks stayed ahead by absolutely dominating in the paint and on fast breaks. They pushed their lead to 12 before finishing the quarter up 28-21.
Second Quarter Struggles and Sloppy Play
The second quarter kicked off with more foul trouble for KAT, who laid out Jamal Cain on a screen for another foul. Just what you don’t need from your big man! Drummond was back in the game before you could blink. Then, veteran Nikola Vučević, reunited with the Magic, laced a triple and led a serious comeback that tied the game up. Tyler Kolek saw some extended time on the court because Jose Alvarado was sidelined with a sprained ankle. Kolek played hard, you gotta give him that, even if it wasn’t always pretty. And talk about a highlight play: Orlando’s Jalen Suggs took a rebound coast-to-coast, dribbling past four defenders for a waltz right to the cup. With that kind of whimsical resistance…
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Posting and Toasting.
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