Josh Hart, Magic 2nd Half Lead to Knicks Win

Fresh off a holiday win at Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks brought some Christmas cheer with them in the opener of a calendar-closing road trip.

A scintillating second half surge paced the Knicks’ latest victory, as they once again mastered the Orlando Magic at Kia Center, posting a 108-85 victory on Friday night. New York (21-10) has now won six in a row, the longest active tally in the Eastern Conference pending Cleveland’s late result in Denver.

Despite another respectable challenge from the shorthanded Magic (19-14), the Knicks created a one-sided affair with a 54-31 advantage in the second half, rendering a 54-all tie at intermission and Orlando’s hot 16-8 start long-forgotten.

It was another Josh Hart double-double that set the tone, as this time he led his scoring do the talking with a season-best 23 points, pairing them with 13 rebounds and two blocks and steals each. Another turning point was the foul trouble of lingering Magic star Jalen Suggs.

Orlando led by one when the defensive-minded Suggs picked up his fifth foul just before the midway mark of the third. Once he was forced to sit, the Knicks went on a 23-7 run that assured the game’s one-sided nature.

Perhaps most shockingly, the Knicks earned their impressive offensive output with minimal work from beyond the three-point line: the 15 three-point tries are the lowest any team has taken in the NBA this season and its the lowest output in a victorious New York effort since December 2017. The four threes the Knicks hit are also their lowest in a win since April 2016.

It was a night of dreary landmarks for the shorthanded Magic, who continue to miss franchise faces Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner: the 85 points are tied for the lowest tally by a Knicks opponent this season and Friday’s loss is their first by double-figures at home this season–and their first overall since Dec. 3’s defeat at Madison Square Garden.

Despite his whistle issues, Suggs led the Magic with 27 points in defeat. Orlando has one more chance to avoid a season sweep when they take Manhattan on Jan. 6.

In the meantime, the Knicks immediately return to action on Saturday as their calendar year ends with a couple in the nation’s capital against the Washington Wizards (7 p.m. ET, MSG).

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!