Sunday afternoons at Madison Square Garden have a specific kind of energy, don’t they? It’s usually where the stars come out to shine, but this particular matchup between the Knicks and the Orlando Magic felt more like a street fight than a Broadway show. In the end, New York did what they’ve been doing best lately: they found a way to win.
Despite missing their big man, Karl-Anthony Towns, due to calf tightness, the Knicks managed to secure a 106-100 victory, improving to a terrifying 13-1 at home. It wasn’t always pretty, but with Jalen Brunson steering the ship and Josh Hart playing like he’s six inches taller than he actually is, the ‘Bockers got the job done.
Brunson and Hart Carry the Load For the Knicks
Let’s be honest: when news broke that KAT was scratched just before tipoff, a collective groan probably echoed through the boroughs. He’s been a rebounding machine and a scoring juggernaut. But this is why you have Jalen Brunson. The man is playing at an MVP level, plain and simple.
He dropped 30 points and dished out 9 assists, controlling the tempo whenever the Magic tried to make a run. He went scoreless in the second quarter but came alive when it mattered most, fueling a 13-0 run to open the third that effectively swung the momentum.
Then there’s Josh Hart. You almost have to laugh at how he plays. With Towns out, Hart decided he was the center today. He snagged 12 rebounds to go with his 17 points. It’s that kind of hustle that defines this Knicks squad. OG Anunoby wasn’t quiet either; playing in just his second game back from injury, he looked crisp, dropping 21 points and hitting key buckets to keep Orlando at arm’s length.
A Somber Note: Wagner’s Injury Changes the Game
You never want to see a game defined by an injury, but the air definitely left the Magic’s sails in the first quarter. Franz Wagner, who has been absolutely torching defenses this season (averaging over 23 points a game), went up for a dunk and came down awkwardly after a foul. Watching him grab below his knee and need help getting to the locker room was a gut punch for basketball fans, regardless of which jersey you were wearing.
Orlando tried to hang tough without their star. Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs fought back, and they even took a one-point lead into halftime. But without Wagner’s offensive punch, they just couldn’t keep pace with New York’s third-quarter explosion.
What’s Next for the Knicks?
This win was massive for the standings. The Knicks have now won eight of their last nine games and are sitting just 2.5 games behind Detroit for the top spot in the East.
They don’t have much time to celebrate, though. The team heads north to Toronto for an NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup on Tuesday. If Brunson keeps playing like this and the “Next Man Up” mentality holds strong, they’ll be a tough out for anyone.
