Cole Anthony scored 14 of his team-high 24 points in the second half Monday night as the undermanned Orlando Magic grabbed the lead and didn’t let go in a 103-94 win over the host New York Knicks.
Wendell Carter Jr. had 19 points off the bench while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 15 points and reserve Jonathan Isaac netted 13 for the Magic, who avoided being swept in the four-game regular season series despite missing leading scorers Franz Wagner (torn right oblique), Jalen Suggs (back) and Moritz Wagner (torn left ACL).
Third-year star Paolo Banchero, who averaged 29 points over his first five games, also missed his 33rd straight game recovering from a torn right oblique.
Carter entered the game just 8-of-50 on 3-point attempts but drained all three of his shots from deep against the Knicks.
Josh Hart collected 15 points and 14 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges each scored 24 points for the ice-cold Knicks, who suffered their season-high third straight loss.
Precious Achiuwa added 10 points off the bench for the Knicks, who were without Karl-Anthony Towns (knee injury). The 7-footer has a double-double in 30 of 34 games this season.
The Knicks shot a season-low 18.2 percent (4-of-22) from deep and missed 15 straight attempts before Cameron Payne drained a 25-footer for the game’s final points with eight seconds left.
The Knicks never trailed in the first quarter first before the teams combined for nine lead changes in the second, the last when Jett Howard gave the Magic the lead for good at 53-51 with a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.
Anthony, the son of former New York guard Greg Anthony, scored eight points in the third, when Orlando outscored the hosts 22-17.
Bridges hit a jumper with 7:53 left in the fourth to pull the Knicks within 83-78, but Caldwell-Pope sank a 3-pointer and Carter hit a jump shot following a miss by Bridges. New York got no closer than six and the Magic led by as many as 12 down the stretch.
–Field Level Media
