Injured Knicks Falter vs. Magic After Fantastic 1st

The depleted New York Knicks couldn't keep pace with the Orlando Magic on Thursday night despite a brilliant 20-point effort from Jalen Brunson.

The New York Knicks are going into the All-Star Break on the wrong foot following a 118-100 loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night at the Kia Center.

Despite missing six regulars, New York (33-22) started strong with a nine-point lead after the first quarter fueled by a 20-point outburst from Jalen Brunson. But after an Alec Burks three-pointer 

“I thought we played really well the first quarter," Thibodeau said. "The start of the second, we gave up that lead very quickly and then the defense wasn’t very good, but I thought we fought in the third, and then they went on that run right to start the fourth.”

Part of the Knicks' struggles came with the inability to contain Paolo Banchero, who scored a game-high 36 points without having to head to the free throw line. Banchero is set to join fellow first-timer Brunson at this weekend's NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis. 

“He’s an All-Star so you’ve got to guard a guy like that with your team," Thibodeau said. "When he made his threes, which was a big thing I think for him. But he’s a load to deal with. He gets into the paint, he’s big, he’s strong and he has a good mix of shots. He’s a guy that’s difficult to speed up. I thought he played a great game for them.”

Parker Doubles Down on Brunson Take

The Knicks came into the game with several players injured: they already knew they'd be without OG Anunoby (elbow), Julius Randle (shoulder), and Mitchell Robinson (ankle) but Bojan Bogdanovic (calf) and Donte DiVincenzo (hamstring) were added to the casualties after Monday's loss to Houston. Isaiah Hartensein (Achilles) also missed his third straight. 

All of those injuries contributed to the loss, but New York perhaps had some hope after the first period. Ultimately, they were unable to maintain that hot start, ending a hopeful half of basketball on a sour note: the Knicks still sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference but have dropped four in a row for the first time in over a calendar year and five of six overall.