Magic Fall Short vs. Knicks in Defensive Showdown

The New York Knicks came back late in the fourth to beat the Orlando Magic on the road Tuesday night.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 7, 2023

Magic Fall Short vs. Knicks in Defensive Showdown /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is shaking its head after a 102-98 loss to the New York Knicks Tuesday night at the Amway Center.

The Magic (22-33) started off hot on an 18-7 run, but the game quickly turned into a defensive battle between the two teams.

The Knicks (30-26) managed to post just 40 first-half points, but stayed in the game by only allowing the Magic to score 48 before halftime.

While both teams struggled to score, the Knicks clawed back into it, making it a one-possession game before the fourth quarter.

The Knicks took their first lead of the game with just under five minutes to go and went tit-for-tat with the Magic on every possession down the stretch.

With a chance to tie the game with less than a minute to go, Franz Wagner missed a crucial three and opened the door for the Knicks to ice it.

However, Julius Randle missed a three of his own on the next possession, giving the Magic another opportunity to tie the game.

Instead of taking the chance to tie, Wagner took it to the rim for an easy two points to cut the deficit to one.

It became a free throw game from there, and the Knicks grabbed the game-winning rebound after an intentional miss from Paolo Banchero.

Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 25 points, while Randle added 22. Immanuel Quickley also chipped in with 18 points off the bench.

For the Magic, Markelle Fultz led the way with 21 points on an efficient 9 of 12 shooting. He was one of five Magic players who scored in double figures.

The Magic's homestand continues Thursday when two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets slide into town. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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Published Feb 7, 2023

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.