Magic 'Bounce Back' After Rough Start vs. Knicks

The Orlando Magic grabbed their 30th win of the season against the New York Knicks.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 15, 2024

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic are waking up this morning in high spirits after beating the New York Knicks 118-100 on Wednesday night at the Kia Center.

It didn't look promising after the first quarter when the Knicks led by nine points after Jalen Brunson dropped 20 in the first 12 minutes, but the Magic stayed poised en route to victory.

Miles McBride Cole Anthony Knicks — Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

“I think they did a great job recognizing what we needed to do," coach Jamahl Mosley said postgame. "Jalen Brunson is a heck of a player, he made tough shots, we tried to make it difficult on him early, he got it going, but our guy’s ability to bounce back, recognize what we needed to do in order to pull away and I’m very proud of this group for the way in which they stayed focused and got it done.”

The defense began to lock in during the second quarter, allowing just 19 points from New York. The offense also continued to click, posting a 71.1 shooting percentage from the floor in the first half. Orlando outscored New York 38-19 in the second, allowing them to take a double-digit lead into the locker room.

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From there, the Magic cruised in the second half to grab a big win in front of their home fans. The win also secured a season series victory against the Knicks after winning the first three meetings of the year. The Magic and Knicks will meet for a fourth time at Madison Square Garden in March.

Published Feb 15, 2024

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.