Magic Close Out Summer League Against Knicks: Preview, How to Watch

Without Paolo Banchero, the Orlando Magic (2-1) will finish off their Summer League regular season against the New York Knicks (2-1)

With No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero shut down for Summer League, the Orlando Magic is ready for other guys to seize their moment.

“We brought a lot of guys to Summer League, and we wanna see everybody get an opportunity,” Magic Summer League head coach Jesse Mermuys said Monday. “They’ve been working really hard. Those guys did a great job for us, now it’s time to look at some other guys and give them an opportunity, they’ve earned that.”

Down 20 early against the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday night, the Magic fought their way back to trim the lead to three, with an opportunity to tie things up on their final possession.

But unfortunately could not complete the comeback, dropping their record to 2-1 in Las Vegas.

“What you’re trying to do in that is give yourself a chance, and we did that,” Mermuys said Monday. “We stayed the course, able to stand a lot of adversity out there and kept chipping away at that lead and kept fighting.”

The team has an opportunity to redeem themselves tonight at 7:30pm, facing off against the New York Knicks.

The Knicks have also opened at 2-1, dropping their most recent affair to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday 88-77.

Quentin Grimes and Jericho Sims will be players to look out for from New York, both second-year guys that are looking to earn a spot in the regular season rotation.

Grimes, the 25th overall pick in 2021 has been utterly dominant through three games, averaging 24 points, to go along with 4.3 assists and 4 rebounds. 

After going down with a knee injury directly following last season's All-Star break, the 2021 AAC Player of the Year looks poised for a bounce back sophomore campaign.

Sims, a four-year Texas Longhorn, has certainly put on a show throughout Summer League thus far, finishing with a double double in two of three contests.

With a recently official three-year contract, the 58th overall pick in last year's draft has proven through three games that he is in interior force.

That's how you feel Jericho?? pic.twitter.com/CCBvTjgcsF

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) July 9, 2022

While Magic fans have to wait until October to get their next glimpse of Banchero, players like Devin Cannady, Justin James and Tommy Kuhse have stepped up in his absence.

“Tommy [Kuhse] was hooping man, I was trying to get him back in there at the end,” Mermuys said Saturday. “He did a great job for us and that really sparked that comeback, he hit some big shots. [Justin James] was big, so it was a team effort to climb back.”

TV: NBA TV

Stream: fuboTV

Time: 7:30 p.m. EST