The Knicks met a stout defense and they went from a Ferrari to a used hatchback.
At least for a half.
By the time New York’s offense woke up at halftime, it was too late and its five-game winning streak was snapped Wednesday by the Magic, 124-107, handing the Knicks (7-3) their first defeat at home.
Jalen Brunson dropped 31 points but was among the frustrated Knicks, unable to crack Orlando’s defense in the first half and unable to stop Orlando’s offense in the second.
He ultimately fouled out with 1:52 remaining, committing the sixth personal on purpose to leave the blowout.
There was more complaining to the referees than usual from the entire squad, more fouling and less ball movement.
Franz Wagner, the German forward, scored a team-high 28 points for the Magic, which lost All-Star Paolo Banchero at halftime to a groin strain.
After falling into a 20-point deficit at the break, the Knicks cut the deficit to nine with about six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
But then Jalen Suggs nailed a trey on the following possession for the Magic, which cruised to the final buzzer without much resistance from the home team.
The Knicks had just battered two underwhelming and overmatched opponents, the Grizzlies and Nets, and neither looked like they belonged on the same court. Mike Brown’s squad utterly dominated.
The Magic (6-6) are a different caliber. Despite a disappointing start to their season, they carry a goal of competing for a spot in the Finals.
They sacrificed multiple first-round picks to acquire Desmond Bane for that purpose. They’re physical and defend with size, with three starters — Banchero, Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr. — all at least 6-foot-10.
On Tuesday against the Grizzlies, the Knicks scored 42 points in the first quarter. A day later against the Magic, they had 42 points at halftime.
“Orlando’s a big team, they’re athletic. They’re long. They’re well coached,” Mike Brown said. “Jamahl Mosley’s done a fantastic job down there. They’re gonna be physical. They’re a lot better than what they’re record says. I think their starting five might be in the top 5 in net rating in the NBA, so they can hurt you in a lot of different ways. We just have to match their physicality without sending them to the free-throw line.”
The Knicks didn’t match Orlando. They were overwhelmed. They were outrebounded, 49-37.
They converted just 11 3-pointers, six fewer than their average.
Heading into the night, the Knicks were averaging 121.8 points — good for second in the Eastern Conference — while shooting 38.5 percent on 3-pointers. So Tuesday was a big departure from their standard.
Stylistically, the Knicks drifted far from Brown’s preference. Brunson dominated the ball and the shots, as the ball movement screeched to a halt.
They had just six assists at halftime compared to nine turnovers, with Josh Hart collecting three of the latter.
Aside from Landry Shamet, all of the Knicks struggled. Mikal Bridges managed just six points on 3-for-9 shooting in 29 minutes. He was benched for all but two minutes of the fourth quarter.
OG Anunoby also was quiet with eight points. Mitchell Robinson returned from a one-game absence for load management but he committed too many fouls and his impact was minimal.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
