Game Thread: New York Knicks @ Orlando Magic 7:00 pm 3/6/2017 [Game#64]

rady

Administrator
Staff member

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(25-38) -- (23-40)

VenueTVTIME
Amway Center, Orlando, FLMSG7:00 PM EST


Possible starters:


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Injury Report

New York KnicksOrlando Magic
Joakim Noah - Sore Left Hamstring (OUT)Jodie Meeks - Right thumb repair (OUT)
Willy Hernangomez - Sprained Left Ankle (DOUBT)Nikola Vucevic - Sore right Achilles (QUEST)
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Game Preview

Effort was not the problem for the Orlando Magic in their 101-90 loss to the New York Knicks last Wednesday. Something else was off about the team.

With three days at home between their last game -- a stellar 18-point win over the Atlanta Hawks -- the Knicks seemed poised to build some positive momentum. Then the Knicks came and seemed to pull the rug from underneath them in a loss to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.

What seemed like a turning point for the Knicks last week has instead become a blip on an otherwise difficult season. New York hopes a return to Orlando on Monday at the Amway Center can get the team back on the right track.

New York downsized against Orlando for their matchup last week, using Kristaps Porzingis at center for heavy minutes to pull Nikola Vucevic away from the basket. The Magic's ace defender, Aaron Gordon, got the draw on Carmelo Anthony, leaving a wing player to defend Lance Thomas or stay rooted in the paint.

The Knicks feasted on the Magic's poor perimeter play and lack of a paint presence throughout the first half, establishing a lead the Magic were never able to cut into.

Orlando could not figure out how to break New York's switching defense, shooting just 41 percent from the floor with a season-low 11 assists.

"We still have a big problem containing the basketball," Magic coach Frank Vogel said at practice the day after the loss to the Knicks. "Offensively, we had a bad shooting night and a bad passing night. That's frustrating.

"We need to be a great passing team to give ourselves the best chance to make shots. We didn't do that."

Orlando did respond, moving the ball well and attacking in an 110-99 win over the Miami Heat at home Friday.

The Magic showed they still have some work to do. After building a 17-point lead, Orlando squandered it, giving up a 36-point fourth quarter and a 3-pointer from Bojan Bogdanovic with 46 seconds left to give the Wizards the lead for good.

Orlando is still looking to build consistency, even as it gains confidence to end the season.

New York came out of that game Wednesday talking about their recommitment to defense. The Knicks indeed had a stellar defensive performance despite struggling on offense, especially in the second half.

That defensive effort did not carry over.

The Knicks lost 105-102 to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, giving up 21 second-chance points and 43.9 percent shooting in the loss. After the game, Anthony complained the team failed to make the necessary adjustments offensively as they were defeated.

"We play the same way throughout the course of the game," Anthony told the New York Post. "And when teams make adjustments, we're still playing the same way as teams make those adjustments defensively."

Asking for defense against Golden State was probably a bit much. But New York held Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry in check -- going a combined 7 of 23. But the two caught fire in the second half in a 112-105 Warriors win at Madison Square Garden.

(cbssports.com)
 
Thanks again for the game thread, Rady.

Just read online that Melo is going to sit out tonight because of a sore knee. I don't think it's a bold prediction to say that we're going to see a lot more of this sitting for minor injuries as the season winds down, particularly with Melo, but also with Rose and maybe Lance Thomas and/or Courtney Lee. Basically, anyone age 28 or older on the roster.
 
Also, because for me literally the only consistently fun thing about this team right now is starting to talk about the 2017 draft, it's worth mentioning that because New Orleans won yesterday, we are now tied with them for the 6th worst record in the NBA.

Current "reverse standings" are:
1 - Brooklyn (or really Boston if we're talking the actual draft pick lottery odds)
2 - Lakers
3 - Phoenix
4 - Orlando
5 - Philly
6 - New York/New Orleans

We have a chance to really get ourselves in a position to have a guaranteed shot at that impact guard our franchise desperately needs in the upcoming draft. If the higher ups decide to commit to this and basically decide to just play out the season giving major minutes to our young guys, it could end up being a huge win-win for this franchise.
 
I'm all for getting the best possible draft pick, but geez guys, you don't need to tank a game this hard. We're losing 9 - 0 to start.
 

RunningJumper

Super Moderator
We're losing 22 - 8 with less than 4 minutes to go in the 1st quarter. Just awful.
This team has been pathetic since late December. I'm never for the tank, and this season, I want them to tank even less. It's bs that they're not in the top 8. It would make five years straight if they don't make the Playoffs.
 
2nd unit scores 12 points in the last 4 minutes of the 1st quarter to keep us from getting completely humiliated. Thanks to them still something resembling a game going into the 2nd quarter
 
This team has been pathetic since late December. I'm never for the tank, and this season, I want them to tank even less. It's bs that they're not in the top 8. It would make five years straight if they don't make the Playoffs.

I appreciate the sentiment. I really do. I just don't see it happening. This team just seems fundamentally broken this season
 
Hornacek going super creative here with the 2nd quarter lineup with Randle, Baker, Lee, Kuz, and Porzingis.

Nice drive by Randle to get the and-1 and a chance to cut the lead to 5
 
Give Hornacek credit. He is going with the guys who are playing hard and they are rewarding him. Randle grabs the turnover and passes it ahead to Kuz for the dunk to cut the lead to 3
 

RunningJumper

Super Moderator
I appreciate the sentiment. I really do. I just don't see it happening. This team just seems fundamentally broken this season
I would love for this team to have some sort of rebuild, but it's terrible that the Knicks the last few years have had the talent and/or stretches of good team play and they kept falling apart. I realize Melo is not in his prime, Noah's been injured a lot, Rose might still be trying to get back into form, and KP is only in his second year, but I think under the right people in charge this same squad could have not only made the Playoffs, they could have been at least in the top 6.
 

tiger0330

Legend
Hornacek going super creative here with the 2nd quarter lineup with Randle, Baker, Lee, Kuz, and Porzingis.

Nice drive by Randle to get the and-1 and a chance to cut the lead to 5
Just tuned in with Randle getting his and 1 layup. How has he looked so far, Melo is out with a sore knee also. Horn may not want to tank but thats a tank lineup.
 
Just tuned in with Randle getting his and 1 layup. How has he looked so far, Melo is out with a sore knee also. Horn may not want to tank but thats a tank lineup.

Randle has looked good so far. It's Rose who checked back into the game and immediately made a terrible turnover stalling our rally
 
After a really pathetic first 8 minutes of the game, we have outplayed Orlando since then and now have our first lead with 4 and a half minutes to go in the half
 
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