The New York Knicks visit the Orlando Magic after opening their season with a thrilling double-OT win.
Ah, Orlando. Florida, but make it family-friendly with the occasional Waffle House or shooting range billboard along the Turnpike.
This is where the New York Knicks played tonight, a signature Friday night Knicks bash against the Orlando Magic. Play basketball by night, then watch the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom before maybe grabbing a late dinner at Ohana.
Except this time, the Knicks weren’t here to have fun in Orlando. No, after beating the hated Boston Celtics in double-OT on Wednesday, it was time to go 2-0 at the Magic’s expense. Forget Mickey Mouse. Tonight, it’d be Pizza Rat’s time in the spotlight.
What time is it? GIF recap time, of course!
1st Quarter: When you wish upon a 3
When you wish upon shooting threes, the New York Knicks bring the Orlando Magic to their knees. The team was 7 of 13 from downtown in the first and held a massive 36-16 lead after one. Evan Fournier, in his return to Orlando, led the way with ten points. For good measure, Kemba Walker added three triples of his own.
It’s a high volume night, so let’s prepare for a high volume score.
Halftime report: Hurricane Knicks
It’s halftime, and the New York Knicks are just having their way with the Orlando Magic. It’s 65-35 at the half and everyone is doing their job. No more, no less.
Evan Fournier’s 15 points lead the way, and New York has 17 assists already. Tonight, the Magic Kingdom is simply not the biggest attraction in the greater Orlando region.
3rd Quarter: The Mouse roars
The New York Knicks lead 86-64 after three, but there’s no doubt that Orlando controlled this quarter. Tight zone defense stifled New York’s offense, and the Magic ran roughshod on a 22-4 run. Thankfully, timely threes from Derrick Rose and Alec Burks rejuvenated the Knicks. Now, it’s time to close out the game.
4th quarter: Welcome to the Magic Threedom
You know it’s a great game for the New York Knicks when Kevin Knox gets some minutes. So did rookie Quentin Grimes, who sunk a three for his first NBA points. Miles “Deuce” McBride got some garbage minutes too.
But long before that, the Knicks lit up the scoreboard with a barrage of threes, including a trio from Immanuel Quickley. Alec Burks also hit four three-pointers for the game and seven Knicks finished with double figures.
The final score? An amazing 121-96 victory that saw the team set a new personal record with 24 three-pointers made. As promised, Walt Disney World was not the main attraction in Orlando tonight.
But it’s okay. We’re going to be nice to Disney for the final GIF. Just this one time, though!
Player of the game: Julius Randle
The chants of “MVP!” rained down, but Randle very quietly had himself a great game. He once again came close to a triple-double, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.
