Paolo Banchero recorded his sixth consecutive 20+ point game, yet his scoring brilliance went down the drain as the Orlando Magic fell to the New York Knicks, 98-74, on Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Banchero, the reigning Rookie of the Year and All-Star, dropped 23 points on 9-f0r-20 clip with 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. Unfortunately, he was one of only three Magic players who scored double figures as Orlando shot 34.2 percent from the field and 23 percent from beyond the arc.
“I think they did a good job…being physical…You could feel the intensity from the tip from them.”
–– Paolo Banchero on the Knicks pic.twitter.com/gWu9nlSpV0
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 9, 2024
The Magic also had no answers in containing All-Star guard Jalen Brunson, who finished with a game-high 26 points on 11-for-19 shooting. He also got solid contributions from Josh Hart (19 points), Precious Achiuwa (15 points), and Miles McBride (14 points).
The Knicks came out of the gates aggressively as they stormed to a 31-23 lead at the end of the first. They further built that lead in the second frame behind the hot shooting hands of Achiuwa and Brunson.
The Magic never got a chance to recover from a 16-point halftime deficit as the Knicks continued to fire from all cylinders on their way to a commanding 26-point lead at the end of the third quarter. Although Orlando outscored the Knicks 20-18 in the fourth quarter, New York’s lead built in the first three quarters was just too much to overcome.
Jalen Brunson (26 PTS, 4 3PM) couldn’t miss in the Knicks’ win over the Magic! pic.twitter.com/ihcZar4LEG
— NBA (@NBA) March 9, 2024
The loss at MSG ended the Magic’s five-game winning streak. They are still the top team in Southeast Division with a 37-27 record. The Knicks, on the other hand, improved to 37-26, good for second in the Atlantic Division.
