Despite the Orlando Magic missing several key players, the New York Knicks dropped a stinker offensively, falling to the Magic 103-94. For the first time this season, New York has lost three consecutive games and is now 24-13, while Orlando improved to 22-16.
The Knicks had a horrific shooting performance
The Knicks were missing Karl-Anthony Towns in this game as he was dealing with a leg injury, and they needed his shooting on a night when they had their worst shooting performance without him.
They started the game 3-for-6 from three but completely fell apart after that. They missed their next 15 three-point attempts the rest of the game en route to a 4-for-22 performance from outside the arc, by far their worst shooting output all season long.
The Magic didn’t shoot particularly well, but they got going in the fourth quarter, going 4-for-5 from three, which ultimately made the difference. Without Towns and McBride, the Knicks could not create clean looks against the Magic’s stifling defense, a part of Orlando that has allowed them to stay competitive despite all of their injuries.
Knicks’ lack of depth continues to hurt them
A theme that has been recurring for most of the season, the Knicks are in desperate need of some depth. Jericho Sins got the start in place of Towns despite being out of the rotation in the weeks prior, and while he did grab 10 rebounds, the lack of offensive aggression was apparent as he attempted just four shots in 29 minutes.
Precious Achiuwa also had a rough game off the bench, as he was a team-worst -14 in 22 minutes and grabbed only two rebounds. The Knicks were getting out-hustled by the Magic, and Orlando won the rebound battle 30-27.
The backcourt in the second unit provided very little energy, as Cameron Payne shot just 2-for-7 on the night and Landry Shamet went scoreless in 21 minutes. Simply put, the Knicks badly need scoring depth in the second unit, as they will not win many games without proper insurance for the starters.
Getting McBride and eventually Mitchell Robinson back on the court will be a good start, but it might take more than that to fix this issue. Perhaps they can elevate T.J. Warren or Pacome Dadiet from the G-League, or they can facilitate a trade for some bench help. Nevertheless, it is an area that will need to be addressed before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Overview
The Knicks have hit a slump after winning nine consecutive games, and this loss to the Magic may be penciled in as the worst of the season. New York will try to flush this one away and get back on track Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden.