The New York Knicks walked into Wednesday night undefeated at home and riding a four-game winning streak, a pair of early-season benchmarks they’d proudly built.
Both disappeared in one night.
New York dropped a tough 124-107 matchup to the Orlando Magic, a clash where the Knicks looked a step behind from the opening tip. Orlando punched first, taking a 30-23 lead after the first quarter, and the Knicks never fully found their rhythm.
New York’s offense struggled to get going, piling up early turnovers, including a season-high 10 in the first half, and repeatedly giving Orlando free possessions that stalled any momentum.
Even with Mitchell Robinson back in the lineup, the Knicks were beaten on the glass from the jump. Orlando controlled the boards, outrebounding New York 30-23 in the first half and carrying that same edge into the third quarter.
Franz Wagner set the tone early, carving up the Knicks in the low post and finishing the opening half with 17 points, giving Orlando the steady scoring punch New York never consistently matched.
New York’s three-point shooting, which had recently masked some of its defensive shortcomings, never showed up. After hitting 40% from deep Tuesday night against Memphis, the Knicks opened Wednesday cold, converting just 4 of 19 attempts from beyond the arc in the first half.
In the second half, Orlando’s dominance only grew, finishing the third quarter with a 91-73 lead over the Knicks.
However, New York mounted a late push that ultimately fell short. The Knicks cut Orlando’s lead to single digits with under six minutes remaining, sparked by Karl-Anthony Towns’ assertive two-way play and Jalen Brunson’s dominant scoring.
Ultimately, the Knicks’ awful defense was what prevented them from coming back and keeping their winning streak alive at Madison Square Garden.
The Knickerbockers will be looking to get back in the win column Friday night as they host Bam Adebayo and the 7-4 Miami Heat.
