The New York Knicks were blown out in MSG by the Orlando Magic, but there was a positive takeaway from this game from an unlikely source—Jarrett Jack.
The Orlando Magic pasted the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden. The Knicks lost 97-73 and dropped to 27-51 on the season.
The Magic bench outpaced the Knicks second-unit and that ended up being the difference in the game. Orlando’s bench outscored New York’s 47-21. But as bad as this loss was to watch, it could help the Knicks in the lottery.
New York has moved into a tie with the Chicago Bulls for the eighth spot in the lottery according to Tankathon. have ripped off three straight wins against the Hornets, Wizards, and Magic while the Knicks have dropped four straight. Each team has four games left to play this season. If they were to end the season with the same record, the tiebreaker would come down to a random drawing. Every little percentage bit could help this team come draft day.
Jarrett Jack Mic’d Up
There weren’t many positives to pick out from the 24-point drubbing but Jarrett Jack was certainly one of them. He didn’t play a single minute, but MSG mic’d him up and his leadership was on full display.
For what has been a demoralizing second half to the season for the Knicks, this is awesome to see. Jack has only played seven total minutes since the All-Star break, and yet he’s still engaged in games and genuinely trying to help the young guys on the team.
Mike Breen made it clear on the MSG broadcast that this mentoring has been consistent since Jack took a diminished role. For a team that is playing a bevy of young players, like Frank Ntilikina and Isaiah Hicks, Jack’s presence cannot be undervalued.
