Franz Wagner scored 13 of his 28 points during a decisive second-quarter run Wednesday night by the Orlando Magic, who overcame an injury to Paolo Banchero to hand the New York Knicks their first home loss of the season with a nearly wire-to-wire 124-107 win.
Banchero, who entered Wednesday leading the Magic in scoring (23.3 points per game) and rebounding (9.1 rebounds per game), had four points, four rebounds and two assists before departing with a strained left groin with 6:40 remaining in the second quarter and the Magic ahead 41-30. The power forward, who turned 23 on Wednesday, missed 34 games last season due to a torn right oblique.
Desmond Bane (22 points, eight assists) and Wendell Carter Jr. (13 points, eight rebounds) each flirted with double-doubles for the Magic, who have won five of seven following a four-game losing streak. Jalen Suggs scored 14 points while Anthony Black (17 points) and Goga Bitadze (10 points) reached double-figures off the bench.
Karl-Anthony Towns (15 points, 12 rebounds) posted a double-double while Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 31 points for the Knicks, whose five-game winning streak ended. New York, which played the penultimate game of a season-long seven-game homestand, fell to 7-1 at Madison Square Garden.
Brunson exited with an apparent leg injury with 1:52 left in the game.
Landry Shamet scored 11 points and fellow reserve Josh Hart added 10 points for the Knicks.
Brunson opened the game with a layup to give the Knicks their lone lead. The Magic led by as many as nine before ending the first quarter with a 30-23 lead.
The Knicks got within four twice early in the second quarter, the last time at 32-28, before the Magic scored nine unanswered points to begin a quarter-ending 30-14 run. Orlando led by as many as 21 four times and headed into the fourth with a 91-73 lead.
New York began the fourth with an 18-9 run and cut the deficit to single digits at 100-91 on Brunson’s jumper with 6:04 left, but the Magic ended the game on a 24-16 surge.
–Field Level Media
