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Magic Provide Test for Knicks

The Orlando Magic face off against the New York Knicks in a game that will decide the winner of the Emirates NBA Cup's East Group A.

Jeremy Brener

Mar 8, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) looks to drive past Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) in the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Mar 8, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) looks to drive past Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) in the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
In this story:

The New York Knicks face arguably the biggest game of their season as they take on the Orlando Magic to decide the winner of East Group A in the Emirates NBA Cup.

Both the Knicks and Magic sit behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics in their own tier in the Eastern Conference, but the winner of this game could earn an edge over the other.

The Magic have been playing without All-Star Paolo Banchero for a month, but Orlando has won 12 of 17 games without him. The main reason behind that is the resurgence of fourth-year pro Franz Wagner, who is beginning to prove why the Magic signed him to a max contract over the offseason.

Another reason behind the Magic's success is their defense. Orlando has the third-best defensive rating in the NBA behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets, and their length at every position has tortured teams all year long.

The Magic have been in New York since Thursday after beating the Brooklyn Nets twice at the Barclays Center since Thanksgiving, so travel won't be an issue for them going into the matchup.

In order for the Knicks to beat the Magic, they will have to make their shots and keep their turnovers to a minimum. The Magic love forcing turnovers and have one of the deadliest defensive backcourts in the NBA in Jalen Suggs and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

The game is winnable for the Knicks, but they cannot lallygag like they did against the Charlotte Hornets in their last NBA Cup game. They have to come out aggressive like they did in their win against the New Orleans Pelicans and keep their foot on the gas for all four quarters.

Tipoff between the Magic and Knicks is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The game can be watched on TNT.

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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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