The Orlando Magic have had the New York Knicks’ number this season, securing two double-digit victories in their previous meetings. But a lot has changed since they last faced off. The Knicks are now one of the hottest teams in the league, winning six of their last seven games, while the Magic just welcomed their franchise player, Paolo Banchero, back into the lineup. Tonight’s game at Madison Square Garden serves as a litmus test: can the Knicks finally solve the Magic, or will Orlando continue its dominance in this burgeoning Eastern Conference rivalry?
Knicks vs. Magic Prediction
It’s still early in December, but could this be an Eastern Conference Finals preview? The Knicks are in great form, having won six of their past seven (Friday: 146-112 win over the Jazz), but the Magic have been better of late and welcomed back Paolo Banchero after a 3+ week absence on Friday in a 106-105 win over the Heat.
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We’ve already seen this matchup twice this season, both of which were double-digit point victories by Orlando. In the most recent meeting (November 22), it was a showdown of the stars with Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Franz Wagner, and Desmond Bane all scoring 24 points (combined: 121 of the game’s 254 points). Both teams had a 10+ point lead in that game, but it was the Magic who closed fast. A 13-0 run in the middle of the fourth quarter helped remove any doubt, a stretch that saw Wagner score seven points.
Both of these teams are in the NBA Cup’s Elite Eight, and that means we could have a higher-stakes meeting on tap before long. For tonight, in what I expect to be a higher-scoring game, the Knicks profile as a slightly stronger team thanks to their NBA-best 2.19 assist-to-turnover rate and the rust factor/minutes limit at play with Banchero.
It’s been more than a month since Orlando dropped a game by double digits, so don’t expect them to let go of the rope, even if New York throws the first punch. Brunson is averaging 43.1% more FTA at home than on the road this season, and I trust him to get those easy points to close this one.
Knicks win a fun one as the early NFL games near halftime: 123-117.
Knicks vs. Magic How to Watch
- Date: Sunday, Dec. 7
- Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Madison Square Garden
- How to Watch (TV): MSG Network, FanDuel Sports Network Florida
Knicks vs. Magic Injury Reports
Knicks Injury Report
- Karl-Anthony Towns: Questionable – Left Calf Tightness
- Landry Shamet: Out – Left Shoulder Strain
- Pacome Dadiet: Questionable – G League (On Assignment)
- Tosan Evbuomnwan: Questionable – G League (Two-way)
- Trey Jemison III: Questionable – G League (Two-way)
- Kevin McCullar Jr.: Questionable – G League (Two-way)
Magic Injury Report
- Franz Wagner: Available – Face mask
- Moritz Wagner: Out – Left Knee injury recovery
- Colin Castleton: Out – G League (Two-way)
- Jamal Cain: Out – G League (Two-way)
- Orlando Robinson: Out – G League (Two-way)
