Knicks fall short to Magic after collapsing in the fourth, 110-104

Julius Randle posted a game high 30 points and 16 rebounds while Derrick Rose led the bench with 23 buckets but the Knicks collapsed in the fourth quarter as the Orlando Magic pounded them with the first loss of the season, 110-104 at the Garden.

Following a crushing win just a couple of days before against the same team, the Knicks were surprised by an opponent that sought revenge and revenge they got. Hometown kid, Cole Anthony, who struggled in the previous game, torched the Knicks with 29 points on a 9-16 shooting including 5-9 from long distance. He also logged 16 rebounds and 8 assists. Terrence Ross scored 22 points all of them in the final act, giving the Magic their first win of the season.

“We knew they would play with intensity and we didn’t. The fourth quarter has to be our best quarter and it wasn’t tonight.”

– Tom Thibodeau

The Knicks, who scored their first four baskets of the game from behind the arc led by as many as 13 in the second quarter and by 9 points with seconds before the end of the third quarter. But then they went cold making just 2 shots out of 16 attempts from the three point line. They were outscored 36-24 in the fourth with Rose getting the entire quarter while Kemba Walker watched it from the bench.

Walker, who scored the first buckets for the Knicks, finished with 10 points and 3 assists in 19 minutes and a minus -14. Mitchell Robinson finished in double-double with 10 points and 10 boards but gave everyone a scare after a entangling his foot against Jalen Suggs in the third quarter. Robinson needed to be helped off the court but eventually returned to the game.

Evan Fournier and Alec Burks struggled with their shooting. Fournier shot 3-11 for a total of 8 points while Burks was 3-10 from the field and logged 9 points.

Up-next: The Knicks (2-1) will host the Sixers (2-1) on Tuesday night from 7:30 pm