Knicks Will Face Different-Looking Magic Team

The Orlando Magic look a little bit different when compared to their most recent game against the New York Knicks.

Dec 3, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) looks to pass the ball against Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) and forward Franz Wagner (22) and guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (3) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

ORLANDO, Fla. — The New York Knicks are getting ready to come into the Kia Center to take on the Orlando Magic, a team that looks a little different since their last meeting.

The Magic played the Knicks back on Dec. 3 in Madison Square Garden in a game that determined the winner of East Group A in the Emirates NBA Cup. The Knicks came out on top, but the Magic finished as the Eastern Conference Wild Card thanks to their strong point differential compared to the other 3-1 teams.

However, two games after the Magic played the Knicks in New York, Orlando forward Franz Wagner tore his oblique, which is set to sideline him for several weeks. It's the same injury Paolo Banchero suffered back on Oct. 31, which he has yet to return from.

Even though the Magic have lost Wagner, they have done their best to cover for his absence. In the two games the Magic have played since losing their potential All-Star forward, they upset the Phoenix Suns at home in a comeback win in the fourth quarter and they nearly pulled off a win on the road against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks to punch a ticket to Las Vegas.

The Magic were unable to pull out the win, so they got back home to face the Knicks at home. The Magic are a team that plays well at home, but with tickets only being released on Wednesday, the Knicks could walk into a calmer environment than what the Kia Center has the potential to be. Perhaps Knicks fans will flood the seats to make it a pseudo-home game for New York.

Either way, the Knicks are in for a challenge no matter how it looks on paper.

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