Karl-Anthony Towns led the way for the New York Knicks with 23 points and 15 rebounds on Tuesday night, as they defeated the Orlando Magic 121-106 to win the NBA Cup’s East Group A title. This victory also secured their spot in the quarterfinals.
Josh Hart contributed a triple-double with 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Knicks finished their group play with a perfect 4-0 record and will host the East Group C champion Atlanta Hawks in the quarterfinals next week.
Other notable performances for New York came from Jalen Brunson, who scored 21 points, Mikal Bridges with 19 points, and OG Anunoby and Miles McBride, who each added 18 points. This win marked their eighth victory in the last 10 games.
For the Magic, Franz Wagner scored 30 points, while Moritz Wagner had 20 points and 12 rebounds. Orlando finished Group A with a 3-1 record, and despite the loss, their strong finish ensured they secured a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They will face the East Group B champion Milwaukee Bucks next week.
The Magic were at risk of losing the tiebreaker for the wild-card spot if they lost by 37 or more points, but they mounted a strong comeback in the final stages. After trailing by 37 points late in the third quarter, Orlando ended the game with a 40-18 run to make the score more respectable.
Jalen Suggs added 14 points, and Cole Anthony contributed 10 points off the bench for Orlando.
The game started with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Franz Wagner scoring all of Orlando’s points in a 14-6 run, but the Knicks quickly took control, scoring the next 11 points. Towns’ layup gave New York the lead at 15-14, and they never trailed again.
The Knicks extended their lead to 36-27 by the end of the first quarter and were ahead by double digits for most of the game. By the third quarter, they had stretched their lead to 103-66.
Orlando fought back in the final period, scoring 16 of the last 18 points, but the Knicks held on to secure the win and the group title.
