Knicks End Weekend, NBA Cup on Magic Note

No. 500 turned out to be a good one for New York Knicks newcomer Mikal Bridges.

Kia Center proved to be a magic kingdom for former Villanova Wildcats on Sunday evening, as Bridges and Jalen Brunson guided the Knicks to a 100-91 win over the hosting Orlando Magic. Sunday's game served as a de facto consolation match for the Eastern Conference's quarterfinal runner-ups in the NBA Cup's knockout round, which previously saw the Knicks master the Magic for the win in group play earlier this month.

Partaking in his 500th consecutive NBA game to open his career, Bridges put forth one of his most complete efforts as a Manhattanite, scoring 17 on 7-of-11 shooting while keeping lingering Magic star Jalen Suggs in check and then some (4-of-19). Brunson was the game's leading scorer, posting 31 points thanks in part to a 4-of-7 output from three. The current captain tied Walt "Clyde" Frazier by earning his 61st game with at least 30 in a New York uniform.

Karl-Anthony Towns also set personal history in his 25th game as a New Yorker, earning a 22-point, 22-rebound double-double. Towns is the first Knicks to post a 20-20 game since Julius Randle in November 2023 and the first to do it on the road since Enes Kanter Freedom in November 2018.

With both sides bemoaning a denied Vegas vacation and in-season glory (which saw the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder secure bids in Tuesday's championship finale), things got off to a sluggish start: New York (16-10) lost seven turnovers over the first eight-plus minutes while the equally meandering Magic were 1-of-8 from deep in the first. Suggs, Orlando's top attraction with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner out due to injury, was 1-of-7 from the field alone as Bridges stayed attached to him.

A double-double from Towns in the second quarter alone changed the course of the game: Towns earned 11 points and 10 boards over the dozen, become just the second NBA rep to put up double-figures in each catgory this season (Walker Kessler). Towns is also just the second Knick to pull it off, once against joining Freedom's 2018 output.

With the game mostly even, if not rather physical, from there on out, a 13-4 run at the end of the frame provided the metropolitan difference, building a 12-point lead just before the halftime break. Between his points, rebounds, and assists in the stretch, Towns had a direct role in nine of those points. Orlando (17-11) never got any closer than six from there on out, allowing the Knicks to swipe third place on the Eastern Conference leaderboard.

Dec 15, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) celebrates a three pointer against the Orlando Magic in the fourth quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

Fresh off two defeats at the hands of the Knicks, the Magic have a chance for revenge on Dec. 27. A career-best scoring out from Franz's brother Moritz (32 points off the bench) served as the brightest silver lining on a night that saw Suggs foul out amidst his woes on the shot chart.

Things get personal in the Knicks' next game, as they'll continue a three-game road trip created by the consolation game in Minnesota on Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET, MSG/TNT). It'll be Towns' first time on Minneapolis hardwood as an opponent and the Knicks' first regular season clash against Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle since sending them to the Midwest for Towns' services.

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