The New York Knicks lose in embarrassing fashion to the depleted Orlando Magic 107-89
Game Flow
Julius Randle continued his All-Star campaign on the floor ending the first half with 17 points on 7-10 shooting going 3 of 4 from downtown. Once again, he was the catalyst to the 56-53 lead that the Knicks secured heading into the break. Payton played a solid first half against his former team, dropping 9 points along with 4 assists. I’d have to dig a bit more, but the 4 assists have to be close to a season-high in one half for Elfrid.
After what was a solid 1st half, the Knicks were ice cold and frankly looked lethargic throughout the 2nd. The bench combination of Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickley went an unbelievable 2-22 from the field and were a big reason the Knicks lost this one. While not every game can be perfect, besides Elfrid, Julius, and RJ, no other Knicks players looked interested in this one. Indeed, a rude awakening as the team could’ve pulled to .500 with 30 games under their belt.
Knicks Bright Spots
Julius Randle was fantastic once again (excluding the five turnovers) as he dropped 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Payton was solid but got next to no playing time in the 2nd half as he went 6-11 from the field and got to the rim at will. Payton had 13 points and 5 assists. Other than those two guys, nobody deserved any recognition, positively, that is.
Up Next
The Spurs, dealing with COVID protocols, won’t make the trip on Saturday to Madison Square Garden, meaning the Knicks will host the Timberwolves this Sunday. With D’Angelo Russell out, the Knicks look to secure a victory against Tom Thibodeau’s former team. With what was a brutal 2nd half showing, the Knicks need to turn things around or are in jeopardy of falling back to three games under .500.