Beede’s Breakdown: How Magic overcame Knicks late to snap 3-game losing streak
NEW YORK — The Magic used a 13-1 run in the fourth quarter against the Knicks on Monday at Madison Square Garden to snap a three-game losing streak.
Orlando trailed by double digits in the third period but stormed back late to capture the 98-94 victory by outscoring New York 17-6 in the final 6:30 of the game.
The Magic will have a chance to go 2-2 on their four-game trip when they visit Atlanta for a Wednesday night (Bally Sports Florida, 7:30) meeting.
Starting 5
Coach Jamahl Mosley made a late change to his starting lineup against the Knicks as he shifted rookie Anthony Black from the first five to the bench.
In Black’s place, Chuma Okeke earned his fifth start in a row alongside guards Jalen Suggs and Caleb Houstan, forward Paolo Banchero and center Goga Bitadze.
The decision to start Okeke paid off quickly for Mosley as the fourth-year forward led the Magic in scoring at the break with 12 points on 3-of-3 shooting from 3-point range.
While Okeke (15 points) had success from distance, Houstan did not. The second-year player shot 1 of 7 from 3. He finished with 7 points, including 4 from the free throw line.
Banchero pieced together his team-leading 26th 20-point performance of the season, which included 5 of the Magic’s final 8 points.
Bitadze was ineffective against New York and was held scoreless in 15 first half minutes. Although he totaled just 3 points, Bitadze grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds.
Second Unit
Center Wendell Carter Jr. (17 points) came off the bench alongside guards Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony plus forwards Joe Ingles and Jonathan Isaac as Mosley relied on a 10-man rotation.
Playing under a 12-16-minutes restriction in his first game, Carter made the most of his limited minutes and ended up seeing 17 on the floor, including the final 1:05. He totaled 9 points in 9 first-half minutes on 4-of-5 shooting with a 3 and a block.
Ingles and Fultz, who did not play Saturday night at Oklahoma City due to injury maintenance on the second night of a back-to-back, returned to the court as well at New York.
The pair entered the game at the 3:30 mark of the first quarter and left with 4:38 left in the second period.
Facilitators when on the court, Fultz recorded a team-high 7 assists while Ingles notched 4.
The Magic point guard looked comfortable getting downhill and was patient finding his teammates on the floor. After playing 20 minutes, Fultz returned to the game for the final 2:37 during which he assisted on a pair of jumpers from Banchero late in the game.
Anthony was quiet during the first three quarters (he shot 1 of 4 from the field to start) but scored 10 in the fourth to finish with 15. He added 5 assists and 4 rebounds.
Isaac did a little bit of everything in 16 minutes. He scored 5 points to go with 7 rebounds and a block.
Reserve center Moe Wagner was a healthy scratch and did not play.
Rookie Watch
After getting moved from the starting five to the bench before the game, Black ended up not playing against the Knicks.
The 6-7 guard was still considered active but did not play for just the third time this season and the first since Oct. 30 — three games into the season.
Mosley said after the game that the absence of New York’s Jalen Brunson was one of multiple factors that led to Black not playing.
Email Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on X, known as Twitter, at @therealBeede.
