The Knicks didn’t create any drama or anxiety for the home crowd at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. Playing to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals of the Emirates NBA Cup, which was rebranded this year from its inaugural name, the In-Season Tournament, they took a nine point lead over the Orlando Magic to end the first quarter and increased it to 20 (71-51) by halftime in their 121-106 win.
After reaching the knockout round a year ago in the tournament’s inaugural season, eventually losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in the quarterfinals, the Knicks will host the Atlanta Hawks next Wednesday. The Milwaukee Bucks and Magic are the East’s other representatives while the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and the 2024 Western Conference champion-winning Dallas Mavericks advanced in the West.
Conspicuously absent are the 19-3 Cleveland Cavaliers, who have the best record in the league. Yet, two of their losses came against the Hawks last week in back-to-back games in the East’s Group C bracket and the Cavs finished 2-2. Two other noticeable eliminations are the Los Angeles Lakers, who were crowned 2023 tournament champions, and the defending NBA champions, the Boston Celtics. The Lakers ended the opening round 2-2 in the West’s Group B. Despite having the same 3-1 record as the Hawks in the East’s Group C, the Hawks held the tie-breaker advantage.
Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson envisions the young tournament gaining more significance as it evolves in the years ahead. “Yeah. I think it’s going to continue to grow too, it’s still early,” he said following his team’s victory over Orlando. “But I think as it picks up traction, I think it is going to be great for a long time. Obviously, if you’re able to be part of it and move on, it’s definitely a plus for sure.”
The Knicks, who are 13-8 overall and in fourth place in the Eastern Conference going into tonight’s game at the Garden versus the Charlotte Hornets, were 4-0 in the East’s Group A, have won three straight, and are 8-2 over their last 10 games.
Center Karl-Anthony Towns, playing with force and high intensity on Tuesday, paced the Knicks in points and rebounds versus the Magic with 23 and 15, respectively. Brunson provided 21 points, and guard-forward Josh Hart notched a triple-double with 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Starters Mikal Bridges (19 points) and OG Anunoby (18) also scored in double figures. But it was their defense, according to Tom Thibodeau, that set the tone.
“I like the way we started the game. Obviously, setting the defensive tone — I thought [Anunoby] and [Bridges] were phenomenal defensively, to get us going. And then, I thought we played very unselfishly,” said Thibodeau. “The guys played together and created good shots for each other. They’re a great defensive team, so I think that was important. I thought our bench gave us a big lift when they went in there as well. I thought [guard Miles McBride] and [Sims] brought a lot of energy to the game and we needed that.”
After taking on the Hornets, the Knicks will host the Detroit Pistons at MSG on Saturday, then meet the Raptors in Toronto on Monday.