The New York Knicks pummeled the Orlando Magic on Tuesday behind a 23-point, 15-rebound performance from Karl-Anthony Towns. However, the game didn’t occur without a little flare, as he and Magic backup center Mo Wagner engaged in a competitive back-and-forth.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Mo Wagner had a mini back-and-forth in Tuesday’s matchup
In the second quarter, Towns was sizing up Wagner by the baseline, when he briefly paused after not getting a foul call. He then calmly sank a turnaround mid-range jumper as the Knicks’ rout continued.
Later in the quarter, Wagner was called for a shooting foul on Towns, to which he responded by clapping in the face of Towns before Towns clapped back (literally), resulting in double technical fouls. The energy brought by those two made a blowout suddenly feel like a playoff game.
The Knicks’ All-Star talked about those exchanges following the game, and it seems as though it is nothing more than competitive banter:
“A bucket’s a bucket,” Towns said, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. “Defense gave me baseline, I took baseline. I got a fadeaway jumper. A bucket’s a bucket.”
The Knicks dominated the Magic
Wagner finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for the Magic, but it was not enough as they found themselves down big for most of the game. The Knicks led by as much as 37 late in the third quarter, a lead that they would not come relatively close to relinquishing.
Both teams advanced to the quarterfinals of the Emirates NBA Cup, so there is a possibility that they will meet again at some point in the tournament. If they do, it will be interesting to see if more moments like last night come about with the stakes raised.
