Knicks blow out Magic behind high-octane offense to advance to NBA Cup knockout round

They say defense wins championships, but advancing in the NBA Cup was all about the top “O.”

The Knicks and their No. 1-ranked offense steamrolled the Magic’s vaunted defense Tuesday night at MSG, 121-106, clinching the top spot in Group A and a berth in the knockout round.

The Knicks (13-8) had no mathematical chance for a wild-card spot, so they faced the equivalent of an elimination game against the league’s hottest team. They responded with a dominant performance, a blowout win forged early and solidified by Mikal Bridges’ buzzer-beating bank shot to take a 20-point advantage at the half.

“We were very selfless,” said Josh Hart, who notched a triple-double with 13 rebounds. “A good win.”

The scoring was balanced and served as a shining example of the Knicks’ humming offense, which entered the evening as the NBA’s most efficient with the highest points per possession. The beatdown got so bad the Knicks had to pump the brakes because of the point-differential implications.

A victory of 37 points or more would’ve meant a quarterfinal showdown against the Celtics. Instead, they were outscored by 16 in the final six minutes and get to play the Hawks next week in the quarters.

“We were aware that if we won by 37 or more we would’ve … no idea,” Hart said sarcastically. “I think we just out there trying to play as hard as we can to the final whistle.”

Tom Thibodeau played it coy when asked about the point-differential maneuvering.

“Just worried about Charlotte [the next regular-season game on Thursday],” the coach said.

Karl-Anthony Towns was a wrecking ball with 23 points and 15 rebounds, feasting on an Orlando frontcourt without injured duo Paolo Banchero and Goga Bitadze.

His chippy battles with Mo Wagner became a side story to the blowout. Jalen Brunson dropped 21 in just 26 minutes of work. Bridges followed up his rejuvenating effort two nights prior with a solid effort, scoring 19 on 8-for-13 shooting.

OG Anunoby (7-for-10, 18 points) was again hitting shots after a two-game deep slump.

Five Knicks scored in double figures just in the first half.

“NBA Cup,” Towns said, “bringing the best out of all us.”

The Magic (15-8), the top-ranked defense in the East, had their six-game winning streak snapped and lost for just the second time in their past 14 games.

On offense, they provided no help for Franz Wagner, who scored 20 of his team’s 51 points in the opening half.

Wagner, a budding superstar, finished with 30.

But he was alone with the Magic, and the defense had no answers for the Knicks, who will advance to the semifinals in Vegas (Dec. 14) if they beat the Hawks on Wednesday.

Despite the defeat, the Magic advanced to the NBA Cup quarters with the wild card. They’ll face the Bucks.

The Knicks are probably the favorite to get to the final — especially after Tuesday’s dominant performance.

“I love how unselfish we were,” Thibodeau said after his team collected 30 assists. “I thought we made great reads. When we got into the paint, just making the extra pass, creating the right space and then cutting which got us going downhill.

“When you do that, everyone finds rhythm and you’re finding good shots. You’re creating good shots for each other. And that’s everyone working together.”