Fresh off a tight 113-111 win in Dallas on Wednesday, the New York Knicks are back on the road tonight looking to stack their first winning streak away from Madison Square Garden.
This time, the trip takes them to the Sunshine State for a Saturday night matchup with the Orlando Magic.
New York finally broke through with their first road victory of the season against the Mavericks, and now the challenge gets tougher. Orlando enters at 9-7 and is coming off a dominant 129-101 blowout of the Los Angeles Clippers, the kind of win that reminds you the Magic can run you off the floor if you’re not all on all cylinders.
Franz Wagner, Orlando’s leading scorer, put up 20 against the Clippers and continues to pace the Magic with 22.6 points per game this season.
The last time these two teams met, Orlando handed the Knicks their first home loss of the year, a 124-107 defeat where New York looked a step slow from the opening tip. The Magic landed the first punch, jumping out to a 30-23 lead after one, and the Knicks never truly settled in.
New York’s offense never found a rhythm, coughing up early turnovers, including a season-high 10 in the first half, and repeatedly gifting Orlando extra possessions that killed any chance at building momentum.
Injury Report
Knicks:
Probable – Jalen Brunson (ankle)
OUT – OG Anunoby (hamstring)
Magic:
OUT – Paolo Banchero (groin)
AVAILABLE – Franz Wagner (nose)
OUT – Mo Wagner (knee)
If the Knicks want to keep building on their Dallas momentum, they’ll need to clean things up fast. Orlando already punched them in the mouth once this season, and with Wagner rolling and the Magic clicking, this one won’t come easy.
Saturday night in the Sunshine State should be a battle. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 pm ET.
