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Knicks Must Overcome Homecourt Advantage vs. Magic

The New York Knicks go on the road into a tough environment to face the Orlando Magic.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 3, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) drives to the basket around New York Knicks guard Cameron Payne (1) and Magic center Moritz Wagner (21) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Dec 3, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) drives to the basket around New York Knicks guard Cameron Payne (1) and Magic center Moritz Wagner (21) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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ORLANDO, Fla. — If the New York Knicks want to beat the Orlando Magic on Sunday night, they must do something no team has done this season.

The Magic are 17-10 on the young season, but they are 10-0 in front of their home fans at the Kia Center. They are the only team in the NBA that has yet to lose at home this season.

Orlando's 10 home games is the fewest of any team in the NBA, but the Magic have done a very good job protecting home court.

The last time the Magic lost at the Kia Center was back on Mar. 30 when they lost to James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers. Since then, they have pulled off wins in every game since, including three playoff games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who hold the league's best record this season.

Orlando has often been seen as a fair-weather city filled with snowbirds and transplants from other cities. However, the Magic's true fans have shown up to build a playoff-like atmosphere for their hometown-built team every game, and the team feeds off that energy.

However, the Knicks have an advantage going into this game. Not only do Knicks fans travel well, especially in Florida, but this game was scheduled as a result of both teams losing their respective NBA Cup quarterfinal. The Knicks fell to the Atlanta Hawks at home while the Magic couldn't pull out a win against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Therefore, tickets for this game have only been available since Thursday, which likely means the arena won't be as full as it normally would be for a Knicks vs. Magic matchup.

If the Knicks can take advantage, they can do what no team has done in nearly nine months and beat the Magic inside the Kia Center.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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