Knicks add to Magic's woes, win 108-95
NEW YORK (AP) - The Knicks pounced on a Magic team that still appeared staggered from the beating they took the night before.
Carmelo Anthony had 19 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, and New York quickly picked up where Stephen Curry left off in defeating Orlando 108-95 on Friday.
A night after yielding 51 points and 10 3-pointers to Curry in a 130-114 loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Magic were barely in a game after the first 10 minutes that their coach said they needed to win.
"Everybody goes through that and we've just got to do our jobs at home," Knicks guard Jose Calderon said. "I think we did it tonight."
Rather than ignore their previous effort, coach Scott Skiles chose to show the Magic clips of Curry's performance a night earlier so they could see where their defense was allowing easy baskets.
But they couldn't correct all their errors, allowing seven Knicks to finish in double figures and giving up 62 points in the first half.
"No, as a matter of fact in many ways we were a little bit worse," Skiles said. "We just looked completely fatigued, is what we looked like."
Kristaps Porzingis added 18 points for the Knicks, who won for only the third time in 16 games. Calderon, Robin Lopez and Arron Afflalo all finished with 14.
"I think that's the way we need to play," Porzingis said. "Everybody was involved. Everybody was attacking. Everybody was trying to be aggressive when we had the opportunity."
Nikola Vucevic scored 18 for the Magic, and Aaron Gordon had 17 points and eight rebounds.
With his team running low on time to mount a playoff push, Skiles called this a "must-win game," a rarity from an NBA coach whose club isn't facing elimination.
But it didn't appear his players heard or understood that message, and Gordon wasn't sure if the back-to-back was the reason.
"It's a lot of travel, it's a lot of games, but that's our job," he said. "We've got to be prepared and we've got to be able to execute."
Calderon did a decent Curry impersonation in the opening minutes, making his first five shots for 10 points midway through the first quarter. The Knicks led 32-23 after one and put up 30 more points in the second to lead 62-44.
The lead ballooned to 24 early in the third before Orlando trimmed it to 82-69 heading to the fourth. Porzingis had a big dunk early in the period as the lead quickly grew back to 18.
TIP-INS
Magic: Orlando was trying to sweep the season series for the first time since going 3-0 in 2009-10. ... Orlando fell to 10-4 against Atlantic Division foes. The team's .769 winning percentage was its best against any division entering the game.
Knicks: Interim coach Kurt Rambis said the Knicks have had some discussions about sending rookie guard Jerian Grant to the NBA Development League, but would prefer to have him practicing with the team. ... Knicks President Phil Jackson sat next to Bill Bradley, one of his teammates on the 1970s Knicks teams that won two NBA championships.
SKILES SAYS
Orlando came in four games behind Charlotte for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, and Skiles looked at this game and another at home against lowly Philadelphia on Sunday as potential chances to make up ground.
"We've got to beat all the teams that their records are worse than ours," Skiles said before the game. "So we've got the Knicks, we've got Philly. We have to win those games and we're going to have to find a way to upset some teams that are better than us right now, so this is another must-win game for us."
JIMMER SITS
Fans chanted for Jimmer Fredette late in the blowout, but Rambis went to Grant when he removed Calderon with 55 seconds left. Rambis praised Fredette's work since he was given a 10-day contract Monday, but has made it clear he's behind the guards who have been with the team all along.
"I know the fans, it's hard," Rambis said. "But I don't want to take away their opportunity unless he tremendously leapfrogs those guys in practice and stuff."
UP NEXT
Magic: Host Philadelphia on Sunday.
Knicks: Host Miami on Sunday.