The Orlando Magic beat the New York Knicks 111-102 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, outscoring New York 40-27 in the fourth quarter. Franz Wagner led the Magic with 23 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.
Orlando trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half before rallying behind a balanced attack. Desmond Bane added 22 points on 4-of-9 shooting from three, while Jalen Brunson paced the Knicks with 28 points on 12-of-28 shooting. Karl-Anthony Towns posted 22 points and 14 rebounds in the loss, and OG Anunoby chipped in 22 points for New York.
Key Moments: How The Magic Beat Knicks 111-102
New York built an early cushion, jumping ahead 18-8 in the first quarter behind Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, who combined for five of the Knicks’ first seven made field goals. The Knicks led 28-21 after one quarter and extended that edge to 49-42 by halftime.
Orlando trimmed the deficit in the third quarter, outscoring New York 23-23 to enter the fourth down 72-65. The Magic then took over in the final period, outscoring the Knicks 40-27 to flip a seven-point deficit into a nine-point win. Orlando shot 43% from the field for the game and connected on 18 of 42 three-point attempts, a 43% clip that overcame a cold shooting night from the Knicks, who made just 9 of 38 from beyond the arc for 24%.
The Magic also won the turnover battle in impact if not in raw count. Both teams finished with 16 total turnovers, but Orlando turned New York’s miscues into 23 points off turnovers, while the Knicks managed just 12 points off Orlando’s turnovers.
Top Performers
Franz Wagner’s line of 23 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in 37 minutes anchored Orlando’s comeback. Desmond Bane finished with 22 points, six rebounds and two assists, shooting 6 of 13 from the field. Wendell Carter Jr. added nine points and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes off the Orlando frontcourt.
Jalen Brunson’s 28 points led all scorers for New York, though he shot just 12 of 28 from the field and 1 of 7 from three. Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 22 points and 14 rebounds, and OG Anunoby scored 22 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Tyler Kolek dished out nine assists for the Knicks. Despite New York’s 52-32 advantage in points in the paint, the Magic’s perimeter shooting and fourth-quarter surge proved decisive.
What It Means
Orlando improved to 1-2 on the season and sits one game back in the Southeast Division standings, where Atlanta, Charlotte and Washington are each 2-1. The Magic lead the season series with New York 1-0. According to the official data, Orlando has now won its last outing after dropping its opener.
New York fell to 0-3, its third straight loss to open the season, and remains in last place in the Atlantic Division, 2.5 games behind division-leading Philadelphia. The Knicks have been outscored in the fourth quarter in consecutive games as they search for their first win of the year.
What’s Next
Both teams continue their young seasons with their next games still to be scheduled following Sunday’s result. Orlando will look to build on its win as it tries to climb out of the bottom of the Southeast standings, while New York will try to avoid an 0-4 start.
For more on Orlando’s season, see the Magic’s loss to the Hawks earlier this season. Elsewhere around the league, check out the Raptors vs. Timberwolves preview and the ongoing debate over which NBA head coach could be fired first this season.
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