The Orlando Magic could not stop the snowball rolling toward them as their shots struggled to go down and the New York Knicks raced past.
The Orlando Magic were reeling offensively. Things were falling apart around them. The New York Knicks’ Emmanuel Mudiay was bowling his way into the lane sucking the defense in to open up lobs for Mitchell Robinson (that one tied the game at 100) or dishing it out to the perimeter for Luke Kornett (that one gave the Knicks a 104-100 lead).
Orlando had no answer.
The team was stagnant and searching, missing several open 3-pointers throughout the quarter that might have given them that calming presence to hold onto the lead or extend it out. The Knicks had seemingly uninterrupted momentum and the Magic could not slow them down.
The fourth quarter saw the Magic miss shot after shot. Open shots at first as the team held onto the rope offensively and kept things moving. But with the wrecking ball coming at them, the Magic seemed to get that deer in a headlights look. The end of the game was coming and they were shriveling under the pressure.
They stopped moving the ball. Players were searching for outlets or searching for that one shot that would set things right and clam everything down. Nevermind the team put the Knicks in the bonus early and could not get stops effectively — even if the Knicks made a ton of tough shots.
When New York finally did take the lead late in the fourth quarter, the avalanche had already come. Orlando gave up a 30-13 fourth quarter, struggling to hit shots and scrambling to find any rhythm or momentum. The Knicks had the confidence and the fight, outmuscling the Magic for a 108-103 victory at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
Orlando again lost to a team very far out of the Playoff picture, giving up an opportunity to get a win that was seemingly in its pocket.
Even in this stretch where the Magic have won eight of the past 11 games, two of them have come in games they may very well regret in April. Games where they led most of the way and had a chance to win late, that they let frittered away.
Orlando looked like they were going to dominate the game and execute at the level the team did in Sunday’s win. A 16-point lead in the first quarter seemed like it was set and the Magic would coast to victory.
But the Knicks bench dominated the game, starting with Robinson and his presence around the basket. That seemed to spark the Knicks all night and they were playing with more confidence and aggression. Orlando struggled on the glass uncharacteristically, giving up 14 offensive rebounds, and struggled to keep New York off the foul line — 25 for 32 from the line.
Orlando could not regain the momentum the team built early on in the game. The team was chasing to keep its lead. And with the bench and Terrence Ross specifically struggling to provide any support, the Magic finally collapsed.
It was a breakdown in just about every way.
The Orlando Magic next play Thursday against the Golden State Warriors at Amway Center. They are one game behind the Charlotte Hornets for the final Playoff spot. With seven Orlando Magic wins or seven Cleveland Cavaliers losses, the Magic will be eliminated from receiving top odds in the NBA Draft Lottery.