Knicks survive gritty Magic defense in 100-91 road victory

The New York Knicks better get used to winning games like this — especially if physicality becomes the blueprint for opposing teams and officiating stays as lenient as it’s been.

They faced such a challenge on Sunday against the Orlando Magic, a scrappy team determined to avenge a blowout loss at Madison Square Garden nearly two weeks prior. Despite missing both of their top scorers — Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner — due to oblique injuries, the Magic mucked the game up early and often.

But the Knicks absorbed every blow and repeatedly countered with their own in a hard-fought 100-91 victory in Orlando, Fla.

Physical play has become the go-to strategy against the Knicks. It worked against them in their NBA Cup quarterfinal loss to the Atlanta Hawks, where Atlanta’s defense — anchored by Dyson Daniels, the reigning Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month — stifled the Knicks’ league-best offense. Jalen Brunson, in particular, struggled, scoring just 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting in that game.

On Sunday, the Magic employed a similar approach, led by Jalen Suggs, the former Gonzaga standout and NFL-level athlete who signed a five-year, $180 million extension in Orlando. The physicality was apparent as Suggs relentlessly pressured Brunson from the opening tip.

Unlike Wednesday, Brunson responded with a stellar performance: 31 points on 8-of-18 shooting, 4 of 8 from three, and an aggressive 11 of 14 from the free-throw line.

“A lot of respect for them,” Brunson said postgame. “Coach [Jamahl] Mosley gets them ready. They’re a physical bunch. No matter who’s out there, they’re gonna fight their ass off.”

While Orlando brought the effort, they lacked the firepower to capitalize offensively. The Magic shot just 9 of 30 from three as a team without Banchero and Wagner. Suggs, in particular, struggled mightily against Mikal Bridges, who delivered one of his best defensive performances of the season. Suggs finished with just nine points on 4-of-19 shooting, including 1 of 9 from beyond the arc.

Suggs didn’t hit his first three until there were less than four-and-a-half minutes left in regulation, trimming a 16-point Knicks lead to 13. Moments later, while hounding Brunson defensively, Suggs fouled out and argued the call on his way to the bench.

The Knicks could only shake their heads, bemused by the disconnect between Suggs’ aggressive play and his apparent disbelief in the foul.

Sunday’s win marked another step forward for the Knicks, who have now won 11 of their last 15 games. After splitting their previous four games, they’ll next head to Minnesota for a reunion matchup on Thursday as Karl-Anthony Towns faces his former team, alongside Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.

Towns had a dominant showing in Orlando, becoming the first Knick coincidentally since Randle to record a 20-20 stat line, finishing with 22 points and 22 rebounds. Bridges added 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Josh Hart contributed across the board with 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals.

The Knicks now have three days to regroup before the Wolves game, and Brunson emphasized the importance of using this time effectively.

“It’s very valuable,” Brunson said in his walk-off interview. “It’s important for us to be in the gym, continue to understand our concepts better, make sure we’re together a little bit more, and just keep being a team. That’s what’s most important.”

Following Thursday’s game in Minnesota, the Knicks will enter a stretch that offers a prime opportunity to pad their win total. Six of their next seven opponents have losing records, with the seventh being a rematch against the injury-riddled Magic.

The Knicks are hitting their stride, but maintaining their momentum will require mastering the kind of gritty, physical battles they’ve increasingly faced this season. Sunday’s win showed they’re learning — but the road ahead remains challenging.

____