The Knicks held Orlando to the lowest single-game point total of the 2023-24 season, sending a message to a potential playoff opponent with a 98-74 drubbing.
The New York Knicks turned in arguably the best defensive performance by any team this season, defeating the Orlando Magic 98-74. No team has scored fewer points in a game this season than the Magic last night.
From the opening tip, the Knicks brought energy. Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson got the team off to a fast start, and they never looked back. They matched Orlando’s physicality and gave it back with an intensity that fired up the entire arena. New York smothered Orlando, holding the Magic to 20 points or less in the final three-quarters of the game.
This is one of the best wins of the season. A massive statement that puts New York back in the top four of the conference. Let’s check how each player contributed to the win.
The Knicks’ starters show up ready to fight
Jalen Brunson: 26 PTS (11/19 FG, 4/7 3PT), 2 AST, 3 REB, 1 TO in 29 mins
Jalen Brunson entered the game swinging, knocking down jumpers and floaters over Anthony Black, which left the visibly rookie frustrated. It was written on Brunson’s face and demeanor that he knew this game was important. He attacked the Magic’s best perimeter defenders and made scoring look easy.
Tom Thibodeau played Brunson on a minutes limit, which meant the Knicks’ star rested longer at the top of the second and fourth quarters. That tells us New York’s staff was weary of rushing Brunson into his regular work. But Brunson didn’t miss a beat while he played.
Brunson didn’t show off as much playmaking as usual. But that comes with him breaking down defenders to score on 57% of his attempts. Why pass when the defense can’t stop you from scoring? Brunson looked the part of New York’s leader, setting the tone early and never letting up. He gets a 4 out of 5 for leading the way.
Donte DiVincenzo: 11 PTS (3/13 FG, 3/10 3PT, 2/2 FT), 6 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 5 TO in 42 mins
Donte DiVincenzo had a nondescript night unless we’re counting his consecutive steals and turnovers to start the second half. He hit a few timely three-pointers in the corners but otherwise shot poorly. He got into the paint but struggled to finish over Orlando’s big men.
Although DiVo’s scoring lacked its usual bite, he did some extra playmaking. Donte pushed the ball ahead for some transition assists and hit the occasional drive and kick. But he also got overzealous at times, rushing passes that were intercepted.
DiVincenzo’s defensive performance helped pick up an otherwise tough night. He often guarded much bigger guys, like Franz Wagner. But the Big Ragu embraced the matchups and challenged every shot. He gets a 2 out of 5 despite rough shooting and some turnovers because he found ways to contribute in all areas.
Josh Hart: 19 PTS (8/12 FG, 3/5 3PT), 4 AST, 7 REB, 2 TO in 42 mins
Josh Hart started the night with five quick points. He hit a three, then rushed out for his first transition bucket for the night. The two buckets exemplified how he would score for the rest of the game. Hart either knocked down open threes or turned defensive rebounds into instant transition buckets.
Besides scoring, the next thing Hart stood out for was getting into trouble. He jawed at the Magic players constantly and argued with the refs about contact on his layups. Eventually, he got T’ed up for his trouble, but I didn’t mind the jawing. Brunson and Hart both deserved some free throws for the contact they were taking, and Hart aimed his ire at Orlando players who’d done their own chirping.
While I credited Brunson for setting the tone in this game, Josh Hart deserves just as much credit. He scored the first two buckets of the game, and the Knicks never looked back. His three-pointer has come along, and we’re back to the Josh Hart that arrived at last year’s deadline. Hart gets a 4 out of 5 for out-muscling the Magic.
Precious Achiuwa: 15 PTS (6/16 FG, 2/4 3PT, 1/2 FT), 4 AST, 14 REB, 2 STL, 5 BLK, 3 TO in 39 mins
Precious Achiuwa is my player of the game. He left his mark on every facet of the action, but especially through his defensive play on Paulo Banchero. Precious chased Banchero out to the perimeter and kept up with the Magic star off the dribble. Achiuwa combined with Isaiah Hartenstein to block Banchero at the rim repeatedly.
Offensively, Precious had an oddball game. He forced the issue on his early attempts, which I’ve termed his “Lance Thomas takes,” aka trying to do too much. But Precious made up for the bad possessions with hustle plays for second chances, quick dimes to bigs across the paint, and a pair of backbreaking three-pointers in the second half.
I haven’t mentioned Precious’ 14 rebounds because his big-time rebounding is something we’ve seen before. But giving an All-Star hell on the defensive end, tallying five blocks, is a step up even for Achiuwa. The big is more than a trade throw-in and gets a 4.5 out of 5 for my best score of the night.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 5 PTS (2/3 FG, 1/1 FT), 2 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 3 BLK, 2 TO in 20 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein seemed to be on a minutes limit, same as Brunson. Other than a couple of moments when he was slow to get up from a fall, he didn’t look like he needed the long breaks. Hartenstein moved around the floor well and disrupted plays with quick hands in the lane during his drop coverage.
But I-Hart’s best moments came off help defense rather than drop coverage. When he could get away with cheating off Wendell Carter to challenge rim runners, Hartenstein gave us some excellent shot-blocking. He denied Banchero at the rim for one of the night’s best highlights.
Hartenstein didn’t do as much as usual offensively, but I attribute that to the success of Brunson and Josh Hart. There wasn’t so much need for Hartenstein’s work as an outlet, and his dribble-handoffs were more than enough to keep ball-handlers effective. Hartenstein gets a 3.5 out of 5 for a great defensive give, with respectable offensive contributions.
Former second-round picks lift New York’s second unit
Miles McBride: 14 PTS (5/7 FG, 3/3 3PT, 1/1 FT), 1 AST, 3 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 19 mins
Miles McBride entered the game after Jalen Brunson and Anthony Black had a dust-up. McBride took his cue from Brunson and immediately knocked down a jumper in Black’s face on the ensuing play. Deuce would continue to shoot effectively throughout his nearly 20 minutes of play.
McBride made Brunson’s extended breaks easy to miss. Fans never had to feel stressed about the offensive losing its edge because McBride hit his jumpers and attacked off the dribble. It’s incredible to think about how far Deuce has come since taking over the backup point guard role. His confidence is at an all-time high.
That’s not to mention McBride’s defense. The only basket I can recall scored on Deuce came when Franz Wagner got a shot off over him, but even that was well-defended. McBride was the star of the second unit, and he’s been the best player off the bench for weeks. Deuce gets a 3 out of 5 for spelling Brunson.
Alec Burks: 0 PTS (0/2 FG, 0/1 3PT) in 5 mins
Alec Burks got a few minutes in the second quarter, but it wasn’t much to work with. He missed his only two shots and didn’t have enough time to offer anything of note.
Bojan Bogdanovic: 6 PTS 2/6 FG, 1/3 3PT, 1/2 FT), 1 TO in 12 mins
Bojan Bogdanovic saw his minutes trimmed but still produced some offense. I still can’t get over how quickly he can turn awkward catches into a quick release. I think Julius Randle’s return will unlock his offense.
But Bojan had tough defensive match-ups due to Orlando’s size. I think the size mismatches, along with New York’s defensive momentum, kept Bogdanovic on the bench more than normal. It wasn’t enough time to make a big impression.
Jericho Sims: 2 PTS (1/1 FG), 1 AST, 6 REB, 1 BLK in 28 mins
I’m really enjoying the minutes when Jericho Sim and Precious Achiuwa share the court. They cover so much ground for their respective sizes that they can switch everything and help in any situation. They had the Magic underwater in the first half.
Sims didn’t stand out as much in his second-half minutes, but he was still all over the place. His lone bucket came on an emphatic putback, and his six rebounds aren’t a fair indicator of his impact on the boards. He hit his box outs, and Precious and Hart reaped the benefits.
It’s fun to think that this was New York’s third-string center, playing starter’s minutes because the top two bigs are hurt or recovering. He went into a game against a quality Orlando frontline and looked completely comfortable. Sims gets a 3 out of 5 despite his humble statline, because a lot of his contributions don’t track in the counting stats.
Tom Thibodeau has a motivated squad
The Knicks understood the assignment against Orlando. This game decided which team would wake up in the fourth seed the next morning, but had the added importance of avoiding a sweep against a potential first-round matchup. New York came out as fired up as we’ve seen all season, and I credit Tom Thibodeau for that.
The Knicks’ roster is still limiting enough that I can’t give Thibodeau much flack for substitution patterns. Two players are on minute limits, and the rotation won’t get complicated until OG, Randle, and Mitch return. In the meantime, Thibs is doing a good job with the pieces he has.
Closing Thoughts:
That was easily one of my favorite wins of the season. The Knicks haven’t held an opponent to so few points in over a decade. They sent a message, loud and clear, to the young upstart Magic. Orlando doesn’t want this smoke in the playoffs.
We’ve enjoyed the benefit of seeing the Knicks play on an extra day’s rest twice in the past week and a half. It’s a small window into what New York can be when they’re not running on fumes due to injuries. Even without their top pieces back, this team is a nightmare to play against when rested.
Now, imagine what they’ll look like when everyone’s healthy and rested. This team still has a shot to do something special, and the month and a half of playing through injuries shouldn’t cause us to second-guess it. The Knicks for real!
New York faces Philadelphia in consecutive games next. It’s a great opportunity to create distance in the standings. I’m hoping the Knicks show similar fire and get Philly out of the game early. We’ll see how it goes, and discuss it next time, Knicks fam!
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