Orlando Magic Grades: Orlando Magic 107, New York Knicks 89

Sometimes the only difference in a game is who shoots the ball better.

On Wednesday between the Orlando Magic and the New York Knicks, there was a stark difference between the two sides in the swish of the net from beyond the arc and from the field in general. And for the first time in a long time, the Magic were the side on the upper hand.

Through the benefit of a 30-14 third quarter in which the Magic sunk five triples, the team was able to propel its way past the pesky Knicks, who struggled all night shooting the ball, apart from a flurry from Julius Randle in the first quarter.

The Orlando Magic found the shooting touch and brought their defense from the road to score a huge win over the New York Knicks and slow their losing streak.

The Magic held the Knicks to just 33 points in the second half and made 16 3-pointers to record an impressive 107-89 win at the Amway Center on Wednesday.

Gary Clark was a particularly bright spot as he made back-to-back three-pointers in the third quarter to cut the Knicks lead to two each time. His shooting form has always been very smooth, and tonight he was finally able to contribute some much-needed buckets for a team so desperately in need of some offensive firepower aside from Nikola Vucevic.

Speaking of the Magic would-be All-Star, he was one of the few Magic players to struggle from the three-point line as he went 0-for-7 from three. He looked to be playing on some heavy legs after a road trip in which he hard carried the team offensively through large stretches of play.

Orlando needs to be able to rely on players other than Nikola Vucevic if the team wants to win any kind of game, and tonight it was able to find some sources of offense in the form of Gary Clark, Dwayne Bacon and Terrence Ross to name a few.

Terrence Ross was able to torch the Knicks for the majority of the game with cuts to the rim, jumpers and most importantly, threes. He also went 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.

Some other highlights included a poster from Michael Carter-Williams on Nerlens Noel that went for an and-1 that really got the bench going and got the momentum going in the Magic’s favor.

His play from the point guard position has been a source of stability since the injuries of Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony, and in addition to Michael Carter-Williams, the newly signed Chasson Randle made his debut and dished out five assists.

It is important for the Magic to get productivity from every position if they want to be successful, and on the road trip playing with eight players, that is tough to do.

With some more consistency and with the lineups gaining more experience as the season goes along, perhaps this team can grow together and make something happen for a possible play-in battle.

Whether that is what Magic fans want is up for discussion, but tonight was some good basketball for a team in need of something good to talk about other than their star center.

Evan Fournier has been sorely missed for the Orlando Magic in the past five games as the team has been playing shorthanded and just having a body out there would be a positive. But bringing back someone of Evan Fournier’s offensive caliber is a definite sign of improvement for a team looking to get back to .500.

He scored nine points in the fourth quarter to help put the game away and added his first dunk of the year as well. He finished with 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting and 3-for-5 from 3-point range. His presence on the floor gives the Magic another threat and he works well with Nikola Vucevic and always has. He will be needed if the Magic want to continue to win.

It was probably one of the poorer games Nikola Vucevic has had so far this season, but he still found a way to have his impact on the contest. He did not hit a three (0-for-7) and shot 8-for-24 from the field despite the rest of the team shooting 47-percent from beyond the arc.

He had a double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds and it cannot be understated the impact that he has rebounding the basketball for the Magic. Even defensively, Vucevic became a force walling off the paint in the second half. The New York Knicks were also unable to score for the majority of the second half, so credit has to go to his defensive effort inside. He will have better games, but if this is him when he isn’t at his best, then the Magic don’t have much to worry about with Vucevic.

Terrence Ross was truly the human torch. And when he becomes that for the Orlando Magic, they are a totally different team than the squad that struggles to score at times. He dropped 30 points on 5-for-6 from 3-point land and 10-for-16 from the field. Ross is going to be key to the Magic’s success in the second unit and was essential as the Magic clawed back into the game in the second quarter. He is usually the spark plug for the entire team when they do not have anything going, and this game was no exception.

Dwayne Bacon scored more points and was more efficient from the field, so it is suitable to say he deserves to get a shoutout here. But Gary Clark is the guy who made the shots when they really counted tonight and made some crucial plays for the Magic that really stand out.

He pulled off a steal early in the game that led to a fast-break basket to Bacon that showed off his defensive versatility, and as aforementioned, he swished in two crucial threes in the third to give the Magic the push they needed to take the game.

He started this game and his continued ability to do so will be a catalyst for the team if he continues this kind of play. Clark is not a sexy player. He does the dirty work, and he takes threes. But if he does his job well and makes his shots, the Magic are going to be better when he’s on the floor.

It was certainly a positive start for the New York Knicks as they started out to a 32-23 lead in the first quarter behind 13 points from Julius Randle. But it all fell apart for them as they shot 26-percent from 3-point range for the game and they were never able to get into a consistent offensive rhythm in the second half. They were only able to muster 33 points in the final two periods.

Julius Randle started out like his hair was on fire as he scored 13 points in his first nine minutes, but ultimately cooled down a bit to score 25 points on 11-for-19 shooting. Former Magic point guard Elfrid Payton showcased some nice drives and finished with 13 points and five assists, but the Knicks never really threatened after the Magic’s breakthrough third quarter.

The Magic are now 11-18. They continue their homestand Friday against the Golden State Warriors.