Knicks Crush Magic, Clinch NBA Cup Group Win

The New York Knicks are on their way back to the NBA Cup's knockout round after a blowout win over the Orlando Magic.

Dec 3, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) blocks a shot by Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) in front of Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks ensured that Tuesday night was downright magical in every way beyond Central Florida's.

With a 121-106 victory over the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks secured not only their third consecutive win but a perfect four-game slate in NBA Cup pool play. Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points and 15 rebounds in the win while Josh Hart had 13 rebounds, 11 points, and 10 assists for his eighth triple-double in a Knick uniform, tied for fourth-most in franchise history with Julius Randle.

The Knicks (13-8, 4-0) crushed the Magic to win Group A in the Eastern Conference to secure a spot on the in-season competition's knockout bracket for the second consecutive season. New York is one of two teams to make the return trip in the East, joined by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Dec 3, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) controls the ball against Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva (23) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Seeded second on the East's knockout bracket, the Knicks will face the Atlanta Hawks, the East Group C winner, on either Dec. 10 or 11 at MSG. The winner will earn a trip to Las Vegas for a chance to succeed the Los Angeles Lakers as in-season champions.

Not all was lost for the Paolo Banchero-less Magic: by keeping the final margin under 37, Orlando (15-9, 3-1) secured the East's wild card spot occupied by the Knicks last season, denying entry to the Boston Celtics thanks once again to the point differential tiebreaker. The Magic trailed by 31 entering the fourth but made the necessary bites into the deficit with a 31-15 advantage in the final frame while the Knicks rested their starters.

The Magic will play the top-ranked Bucks, who secured the East Group B win with a Tuesday triumph over the Detroit Pistons and a plus-50 point differential (the Knicks lost that one at plus-31).

One would hardly believe that Tuesday's win was a comeback effort, but the Knicks fell behind 14-6 in the early going, with nine of those points coming from the hands of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Eleven straight for the Knicks, however, switched the lead for good and the lead reached nine by the end of the period.

It took but 26 seconds for the Knicks to create an eternal double-figure lead in the second period, which was bookended by Mikal Bridges tallies on an 8-of-13 night from the field. The lead expanded to as high as 22 in the second, allowing Knicks fans to pencil in a Cup date fairly early on.

Dec 3, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) brings the ball up court against Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Billed as a battle between an unstoppable force and an immovable object, the Knicks dominated both sides of the ball, including a bullying scoring effort against Orlando's top-ranked defense. Each of the Knicks' five starters read double-figures again (Jalen Brunson had 21 while Bridges and OG Anunoby had 19 and 18 respectively) while Miles McBride had 18 off the bench. New York was also perfect in 20 visits to the foul line, the first time it was flawless from the foul line with at least 20 tries since 2005.

While the Magic have played almost flawlessly after losing franchise face Banchero, things reached a nadir on Tuesday, which saw them shoot 9-of-39 from three-point range. Brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner united for 50 points amidst several verbal battles with Towns, with the latter grabbing a double-double with a dozen boards next to his 20 tallies. The Magic will host the Knicks in a post-Christmas clash on Dec. 27.

In the meantime, several games stand between the Knicks and their chance at in-season glory, starting with a Thursday night visit from the Toronto Raptors (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

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