Orlando Magic at New York Knicks (Dec. 3, 2024): 3 Things to Watch, Odds, and Prediction

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Season Series: Tonight in New York City; Dec. 27 in Orlando; Jan. 6 in New York City

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The Orlando Magic have been the hottest team in the league, having won 12 of their last 13 games with two six-game win streaks. They have laid waste to the teams placed in front of them on the schedule.

Yet, it is not enough. The Magic have to get wins and victories that resonate on the national stage. To be the 3-seed in the Eastern Conference and to win a playoff series, they need to win games like the one they face Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

It is not just that this is an NBA Cup game. The winner advances as the winner of East Group A and the Magic advance with a loss of less than 37 points. It is that these two teams are fighting for their spot atop the Eastern Conference. The Magic need to prove they belong in this group beyond their record.

Orlando so far this season has only two wins against teams with records better than .500—the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers. There is nothing wrong with feasting on bad teams. And many of the Magic’s losses against winning teams came on that Western Conference road trip immediately after Paolo Banchero’s injury.

The Magic need some quality wins on their resume.

The New York Knicks would surely count as one even though they have gone through some ups and downs this season integrating several new players into their lineup. That has not stopped them from being the best offense in the league even if their defense needs to get back on track.

Regardless of who wins or loses, both the Magic and the Knicks will learn a lot about themselves. This is a major test for both teams. In addition to having stakes for the NBA Cup.

3. The 3-point battle

Every Orlando Magic game comes down to 3-point shooting. We can try to avoid it and talk around it, but the Magic’s ability to win games, especially big games, comes down to their ability to make shots. That is the point of the game, right?

Orlando is still last in the league shooting at 31.7 percent from three and 22nd in makes at 12.0 per game. The Magic are hoping they are turning a corner with their 3-point shooting with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finally finding his range.

The Magic will have to keep up though. The New York Knicks rank second in the league shooting 39.3 percent from deep and 11th with 14.3 3-pointers per game.

The game could come down to the math of whether the Magic can make enough threes to keep up with the Knicks. Or it will come down to whether the Magic can prevent the Knicks from getting threes in the first place. Orlando is at least leading the league giving up only 32.7 3-point attempts per game.

How the Magic manage the 3-point line will play a big role in this game’s outcome.

2. Struggling Newcomers

Karl-Anthony Towns has not struggled much since arriving in New York. He is averaging 25.2 points per game and 13.0 rebounds per game.

Mikal Bridges though? His debut with the Knicks has been a bit rough.

He is averaging only 16.3 points per game and shooting a career-worst 33.1 percent shooting. Considering what the Knicks gave up for him, it has not been a smooth ride for him.

Bridges gave them a respite with a 31-point showing Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

It is the same thing the Magic got with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Caldwell-Pope was meant to help boost the Magic’s shooting and defense. But Caldwell-Pope came out of the gates slow. He is shooting 31.0 percent from three. He has had only one season worse than that in his career.

Caldwell-Pope has turned a corner seemingly. He is 14 for 24 from three in the last three games. That is adding some life to the Magic’s offense. And the shooting they desperately need.

1. Magic vs. the Best

Both the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks need this game to see just how strong their strengths really are. The Magic have the third-best defense in the league while the Knicks lead the league in offensive rating.

Now they will see just how good they really are.

The Magic have had five games against teams ranked in the top 10 in offensive rating. They are just 1-4 in those games. That one win was their second-worst defensive game of the year—against the Lakers. The Orlando Magic held the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 101.0 offensive rating.

The Magic’s defense can hold up. But there is still a lot to prove.

The New York Knicks have had some struggles against the elite defenses. The Knicks are only 1-2 against top 10 defenses. They scored only 105.4 points per 100 possessions in a loss to the Houston Rockets.

Orlando and New York have both feasted on poor teams around the league. That is what good teams have to do. This is a major test for both teams.