Post Game Reaction: Knicks 113 Magic 105
The New York Knicks steal one in Orlando tonight as the Knicks beat the Magic 113-105. This is the first win by the Knicks without Melo in over 2 years. It just shows you how much the Knicks rely on Melo for winning. The Knicks bench was the difference in this one. Lets break it down.
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
This game felt like the usual Knick games early on. The Knicks looked dis-interested through the first quarter trailing 9-0 to start and trailed by as many as 14pts. They made a run in the 2nd quarter but that was wasted and trailed by double-digits in the 3rd. But the Knicks ability to make a comeback in the 4th and seal the win was something new. This was all done by their bench, who all night dug out of the whole the starters would put them in. It's starting to get to the point that Hornacek should really consider playing the bench guys as starters because they look like better than the starters. They play with so much more effort and look like they want to play defense. The Knicks had seven players in double-figures and needed all of that on a night without Melo.
Box Score Stats. Knicks had seven players in double-figures led by Lee with 20pts. They also got 17 from Lance Thomas and Porzingis had 14pts. The Magic were led by Fournier 25pts and Payton had 16pts 10asts and 11rebs. Both teams shot under 50% and the two teams dished out at least 23 assists. The Knicks had 26 assists, which is unbelievable for a team that is so iso oriented. Maybe its because Melo did not play, which caused for more ball-movement. The difference in this game came in two-fold. The first was the Knicks ability to dominate the 4th quarter and their bench playing a big role in the out-come.
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Knicks bench providing a spark. Overall the Knicks bench scored 50pts to the Magic 32pts. They had 3 guys in double-figures off the bench and all 5 bench players had at least 7pts. They had a huge impact in the game. Like the Warrior's game, the second unit out-played the starters and were the main reason the Knicks won this game. They were led by Chasson Randle, a rookie, who showed some flashes of greatness. He finished with 7pts 5rebs 5asts and the Knicks were a +27 with him on the court. Randle played the whole 4th quarter, while Rose sat and watched, during that time the Knicks out-scored the Magic 28-13. The one thing I like about his game was that he clearly looked like a point guard that knew how to run the show and was looking to set-up his teammates.
4th quarter take over. Just looking at the box score you can see that the 4th quarter was the difference. The Magic continue their struggles in the 4th shooting 3 of 17 from the field, while the Knicks made 13 of 23 shots. They out-scored the Magic 28-13 in the period. The Knicks lineup for the 4th was Randle, Lee, Thomas, Holiday and O'Quinn. The 5-man unit looked really sharp and they competed on both ends of the court. The best part was that Lee, Holiday and Thomas have the ability to guard multiple positions and were basically able to switch everything. This is something that Hornacek should consider going forward.
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
I was really interested to see how the Knicks were going to play tonight. In the past they have struggled without Melo, add in the fact this was a back-to-back, where the Knicks have almost lost every game on the second night plus they just played a tight game against the Warriors, this felt like a let down game. Early-on it felt that way. But I really have been impressed with this bench as they look ready to play at all times. They may not be very talented but they come out an compete. I really believe that Hornacek needs to mix in a few of these bench players into the starting lineup to try to light a fire under the starters. The Knicks next game is on Wednesday against the Bucks, one of the teams they are chasing for the 8th seed, so another must-win, actually every game is a must-win at this point because the Knicks still need to make-up a lot of ground for the 8 seed.
