The Knicks opened 12-0 against a Magic team missing Paolo Banchero and lost 111-102. The champions are winless through three games and have no excuse left to hand out.
Lead Gone
Twelve-nothing. That was the start. The Knicks led 28-21 after one quarter, and Orlando called timeout down 8-0 before the Garden crowd settled in. Then the game turned. The Knicks lost 111-102 to a Magic team that had no Banchero, no Jonathan Isaac and a questionable Jalen Suggs. A team that wants a second title does not lose this one.
Towns Carried
Karl-Anthony Towns did his part. He finished with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists. Franz Wagner matched him with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 9 assists, and Wagner's night decided the margin. Towns also led New York in scoring and rebounding in Boston. He is producing while his extension sits frozen, and the front office has said nothing new since pausing talks on October 9.
Report Card
Towns gets an A-minus. Twenty-two and 14 on a night the team lost is not the problem. The defense gets a D. It gave up 111 to an Orlando group without its best player. Mike Brown can count on the effort of his stars. He cannot count on the rest of the rotation to stop anyone. The New York Post reported Saturday that Brown called out the team's lack of physicality. Sunday gave him more proof.
Falling Fast
The Knicks are 0-3 with losses of six, four and nine. Their power ranking has dropped from 5th to 25th in a week. Jose Alvarado is now officially out with a left ankle injury, with a return estimated for Tuesday. The Knicks also added Dalton Knecht on Sunday at $4.2 million for this season. He is a depth move, not a fix.
Two Days
The Pistons arrive Tuesday at the Garden. Wednesday brings a trip to Chicago, and Friday a game in Philadelphia. Three more losses would turn a slow start into a crisis. Brunson, Towns and company have two days to find the physicality their coach is asking for.
What was the score of the Knicks vs. Magic game?
Orlando won 111-102 on October 25. The Knicks led 28-21 after the first quarter but lost by nine.
What is the Knicks' record after the Magic loss?
The Knicks are 0-3, with losses to the 76ers, Celtics and Magic. Their next game is Tuesday, October 27, against the Pistons.
