Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns lead Knicks over Magic 100-91

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 31 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points and 22 rebounds and the New York Knicks beat the Orlando Magic 100-91 on Sunday night.

Mikal Bridges had 17 points for the Knicks and Josh Hart added 12 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Moritz Wagner led the Magic with a career-high 32 points in Orlando’s first homecourt loss of the season. Rookie Tristan da Silva added a career-high 20 points.

Jalen Suggs had nine points, eight assists and three blocks for Orlando before fouling out with 3:59 left. Suggs shot 4 for 19.

Takeaways

Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns lead Knicks over Magic 100-91 | iNFOnews.ca — New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Alan Youngblood)

Knicks: In a game added to the schedule when Tuesday’s loss to Atlanta eliminated the Knicks from the NBA Cup tournament, the Knicks relied on defense and rebounding (45-39) before pulling away to a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Magic: Playing their third game without high-scoring forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, the Magic took their first homecourt loss since March 30 in the first of a seven-game homestand.

Key moment

After a Brunson 3-pointer regained a double-digit lead for the Knicks early in the fourth quarter, Towns blocked a shot and Josh Hart converted a twisting baseline layup to put New York up 85-72 with 7:36 remaining.

Key stats

The Knicks had 12 turnovers in the first half, only six in the second half. … The Magic made only 9 of 30 3-point shots, slightly below their season percentage of 31%, which ranks last in the NBA.

Up next

The Knicks play at Minnesota on Thursday in Towns’ first regular-season game against the team for which he played his first nine NBA seasons. The Magic host Oklahoma City on Thursday.