This early in the NBA season, matchups can often be misleading on paper. Coming into Wednesday night, the New York Knicks were 7-3 on the season and 7-0 at home in Madison Square Garden. Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic were sitting at a disappointing 5-6 after being a playoff team for the last two seasons. Yet, that didnât stop the Magic from coming into the Garden and controlling the game from start to finish, leading 62-42 at the half and withstanding a Knicks run to begin the fourth quarter that invigorated the crowd before ultimately pulling out a 124-107 victory.
âObviously, them being undefeated at home is great for them,â said Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley before the game. âOur ability just to focus on what we need to do, to come out and just get the win. Not necessarily where it is, but just how we can come together and get that done.â
The Magic certainly got it done on Wednesday. At the center of their success was Franz Wagner. The 24-year-old, who was sporting a mask as he played through a broken nose, was all over the court from the tip, leading the Magic with 28 points on 10-22 from the field, while adding nine rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block. Five additional Magic players scored in double figures, including 17 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals off the bench for Anthony Black, who was thrust into a larger role on offense after Paolo Banchero had to leave the game after just 12 minutes with a groin injury.
On the other side, Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 31 points on 10-23 from the field, while chipping in six assists and three rebounds before fouling out and limping off the court and into the locker room with just two minutes left in the game. Karl Anthony Towns also posted a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not a strong offensive night for the Knicks, who failed to get into any kind of rhythm against an aggressive Magic defense.
While some may be surprised by the emphatic nature of the Magic victory, their performance wouldnât have caught Knicksâ head coach Mike Brown totally off guard. Perhaps the nature of it would have, but Brown knew before the game even started that the Magicâs early-season record was not indicative of their true talent.
âThey're a lot better than what their record says,â he stated almost two hours before tip-off. âThey're a big team. They're athletic, they're long, well-coached. Jahmal Mosley has done a fantastic job down there. I think their starting five might be top five in net rating in the NBA, so they can hurt you in a lot of different ways.â
That certainly proved to be true on Wednesday night.
"It's not a statement," said Coach Mosley after the game. "It's our process...We've got to continue to focus on our process, and it starts with the defensive end of the floor."
The Passing That Had Fueled the Knicksâ Offensive Success Vanished vs the Magic
The Knicks had been experiencing a bit of an offensive renaissance under Mike Brown. The new head coach had stressed pace and ball movement on offense, which had led to the Knicks being third in the NBA in offensive rating and sixth in points per game.
A big part of that was how often and effectively the Knicks were moving the ball. Coming into Wednesday's game, the Knicks were making 310.9 passes per game, good for 5th in the NBA. That had led to 28 assists per game (8th-best in the league) and also 75.8 assist-created points (6th in the league). That's a huge improvement from last year, where they made 281.2 passes per game (18th in the league) for 27.5 assists per game (11th) and 68.2 assists created points (15th).
Those passing opportunities were created by the Knicks aggressively attacking the paint and then looking for kickouts.
They had ranked 3rd in the NBA in pass rate off of paint touches at 34.5% and were 5th in the NBA in assist rate on paint touches at 6.6%. Last year, they were 22nd in the NBA in pass rate on paint touches at 26%, but were 4th in the league in assist rate on paint touches (6.3%) so it was a skill they always possessed but weren't using as much as they were capable.
Mike Brown stressed the need to unlock that.
âAre we touching the paint?" he said when asked about the keys to the Knicks' success. "That doesn't just mean on a dribble drive. Are we touching the paint the right way? Are the cuts timely? Not only are we cutting or driving the ball and touching the paint, but are we re-spacing after those cuts in the right timeframe? If we're doing that offensively while sharing the basketball, I'm feeling pretty good.â
However, few of those positive steps in development seemed to show up on Wednesday, and it was evident right from the start. The Knicks had two assists versus eight turnovers at the 9:37 mark of the second quarter. They would finish the half with nine turnovers to just five assists and finish the game with 14 turnovers and 20 assists, a far cry from their 28 a game.
It's most likely just an off night for a tired team, but it also serves as a reminder that this Knicks team is still only 11 games into Mike Brown's tenure, and learning a scheme is not a linear process. There will be setbacks and games where the new habits fail them. Tonight was one of those nights. The key is not to let it bleed into the next game on Friday against the Heat.
The Magicâs Defense is Beginning to Find Its Footing
Some of the Knicksâ struggles on offense could be attributed to them playing the second game of a back-to-back, but the Orlando Magic also need to be credited for playing the type of defense that was a big part of their success in 2024-25.
On Wednesday, the Magic had 10 steals and forced the Knicks into 14 turnovers. That type of performance hasnât been the norm for Orlando this season. Coming into tonight, the Magic were 15th in the NBA in defensive rating, but they had been 2nd at the end of last season.
Part of that is due to Orlando being less active and effective in the passing lanes. This year, theyâre 23rd in the NBA in steals with 7.8 per game, but they were 6th in the league last year with 8.9 steals per game. Last year, the Magic were also 6th in the league in deflections with 17.7 per game. This year, theyâre 24th at 15.9 per game.
According to Coach Mosley, some of that was just due to preparation and execution: âWe gotta do a better job of knowing personnel and then being able to keep them out of the lane, but also being able to get out to shooters at the same time.â
They certainly did that against the Knicks, holding New York to 11-36 from beyond the arc, good for 30.6%. The Knicks came into tonight tied with the Cavaliers for first in the NBA with 17 made three-pointers per night, and also ranked 6th in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage at 38.5%.
"This is a team that is averaging close to 130 a game," said Coach Mosley after the game. "The way our guys defended. We took that as the first priority. That's who we are, a defensive team that can get out and run and create opportunities because of our defense and just being physical without fouling."
The Magic executed last yearâs defensive strategy of bringing a physical mentality to the defensive side of the ball. A few early fouls set the tone for a tough game with plenty of contact, and the referees wound up swallowing their whistles on some calls they may have otherwise made.
âI think we've got to be smart about [fouling],â said Coach Mosley before the game. âThe difference in being physical before that ball breaks the three-point line. If we can be as physical there, out on the perimeter, versus when that ball gets in the lane - the swipe downs, the and-ones, the cheap fouls, if you want to say - weâve got to be smarter there. I think that's a big portion of how we can continue to improve.â
Shooting Continues to be a Weakness for the Magic
The Knicks had been trending in the right direction defensively, but one area where opponents seemingly always have an advantage is from behind the three-point line. Coming into tonight's game, the Knicks are allowing opponents to shoot 37% shooting from three, which was the 2nd-worst mark in the league. That's exacerbated by the fact that they also allow the 2nd-highest three-point frequency in the league. To put it plainly, opponents shoot and make tons of three against the Knicks.
The Magic were obviously well aware of that since they launched 33 shots from beyond the arc on Wednesday. They came into the night 28th in the NBA with just 31.4 three-point attempts per game.
Of course, their infrequent shooting from three is partially by design.
The Magic have a physical team that loves to attack the basket. They came into the night 5th in the NBA in field goals made on drives with 11.5 per game. They were also 8th in the NBA in drives per game at 52.3 and 10th in the NBA in the percentage of points that come on drives at 61.7%. In fact, 72.7% of all Orlando's points come in the paint, which is 7th in the NBA.
A lot of that is a consequence of maximizing the skillset of the players on their roster, but another component of it is that the Magic are simply not a good shooting team.
Heading into their game against the Knicks, the Magic were 20th in the league in effective field goal rate. They were hitting just 33.3% of their three-point shots, which was 25th in the NBA. They take just 22.1 catch-and-shoot threes per game, which puts them 28th in the league, and they make 34.2% of those shots, which is 23rd in the league. In fact, if you include shots from inside the arc, the Magic shoot just 36.2% on all catch-and-shoot opportunities, which is 21st in the NBA.
That was a big reason why the Magic went out and traded for Desmond Bane this offseason. The 27-year-old is a career 40.7% shooter from beyond the arc and a 47.1% shooter overall. He was meant to provide the floor spacing and knockdown shooting that the Magic so desperately needed. Yet, so far this season, he is shooting just 27.7% from three and putting up just 4.3 three-point shots per game, well below his career mark of 6.3
Some of those struggles could simply be that Bane is adjusting to his new teammates, but it also seems like Orlando's offensive scheme is not one that leads to many three-point opportunities. On the season, the Magic are 26th in the NBA in percentage of threes that are deemed open (when the defender is within 4-6 feet). They attempt only 11.1 open threes a game, which is also 26th in raw amount too.
So the Magic aren't getting many open threes, and they're not knocking down many of the threes that they are getting. That sounds an awful lot like the offense we had seen from them in recent years, but this year was meant to be different. Perhaps it still can be.
Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xhey siri could you play Chelsea Dagger plsđś
Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xback and better than everđ
Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xa Sam Lafferty Chicago Blackhawks goalđââď¸đââď¸
