The New York Knicks are looking to keep their strong December performance going when they play the Orlando Magic to kick off a three-game road trip on Friday night.
The Knicks have been in great form, winning 15 of their last 19 games, including nine of their last 11 in December.
New York has already beaten Orlando twice this month, first with a 121-106 win on December 3 in New York, where Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points and 15 rebounds. The Knicks then won 100-91 in Orlando on December 15, with Towns posting 22 points and 22 rebounds.
Mikal Bridges had a career-high 41 points in the Knicks’ 117-114 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Christmas Day. He made 17 of 25 shots and 6 of 9 from three-point range.
“We just look at each other and see if we’re getting better or not. I think that’s the biggest thing,” Bridges said, according to the New York Post. “I think we took a jump this month. Every day we just keep trying to get better. We want to win. That’s the main goal. But sometimes just getting better is what we’re looking for.”
Bridges has averaged 22.7 points per game this month while shooting 57.7 percent from the field and 46.9 percent from three. He was averaging just 15.5 points before December.
“Slow and steady wins the race, and that’s what he’s been,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau of Bridges. “If you look at his whole career, he just keeps getting better and better. He does everything. He can run the floor, move without the ball, and create advantages. He’s smart and does so many things that help our team.”
While New York is on the rise, Orlando is facing struggles. The Magic blew a 17-point lead on Thursday night and lost 89-88 to the Miami Heat, marking their fourth loss in the last six games.
Jalen Suggs, who led the team with 29 points, missed a potential game-winning jumper at the buzzer. Orlando struggled from three-point range, hitting just 5 of 29 attempts.
Rookie Tristan da Silva has been stepping up in the absence of small forward Franz Wagner, who is out with an oblique injury. Da Silva scored 18 points in back-to-back games.
“Suggs said of da Silva, “He’s had to step up with some bodies going down with different roles and different possessions. He is taking everything head held high, with the utmost confidence and staying even-keeled throughout mistakes, good games and bad games. He’s a rookie but he’s still 23.”
