Knicks stumble 108-117 against Magic despite Randle’s heroics

In a challenging matchup against the Orlando Magic, the New York Knicks faced a disappointing 108-117 defeat, despite an outstanding performance from Julius Randle.

Randle was the shining star for the Knicks, delivering an impressive stat line of 38 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists on 16-25 shooting. Jalen Brunson contributed 20 points and 8 assists, while RJ Barrett added 19 points to the mix. However, their combined efforts couldn’t overcome the Magic’s determined play.

The game took a sour turn early on as the Knicks found themselves trailing by a significant margin, with the score reading 46-66 in favor of the Magic early in the second quarter. Although the Knicks managed to cut the deficit to 106-111 with just 56 seconds remaining, Jalen Suggs’ field goals in the closing moments proved to be the dagger, sealing the victory for the Magic.

The Knicks struggled defensively, allowing the Magic to go on a critical 16-3 run after the game was tied at 33. This deficit proved insurmountable, and the Knicks couldn’t recover from the early blow.

Both teams experienced a rough night from beyond the arc, with the Knicks shooting 6-30 and the Magic not faring much better at 7-33. The Knicks’ starters, in particular, had a tough time finding their three-point shot, managing just 1-18 from long range.

“Shots are not going to fall, but with that being said, it still was a winnable game. There were things we could have done on the defensive side of the ball and still figure out how to impact the game without making our shots.”

– Jalen Brunson

The Magic were led by Franz Wagner, who contributed 32 points and 9 rebounds, and Paolo Banchero, who recorded an impressive double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Jalen Suggs added 21 points to the Magic’s winning effort.

Up-next: Knicks (17-14) will close 2023 in Indianapolis against the Pacers (16-14) tonight from 7:00 pm