Knicks vs. Orlando Magic: Knicks record 2-2 after trading Carmelo Anthony, a 116-110 loss
Cutting the string of criticism and flare of adversity following them this season, Orlando Magic dropped the newly transformed New York Knicks to a 116-110 on 1 March at the Amway Centre, Orlando. Orlando cruised past to their third straight win
and has won five in the last six games.
Dwight Howard had a record breaking night and the player posted 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to help the Orlando Magic fly past New York Knicks. Chauncey Billups scored 30 points for the Knicks and Amar’e Stoudemire also made a contribution of 30 points
in the loss.
Carmelo Anthony pinned 25 points and rebounded four times for the losing team, three of them offensive. Despite having two players scoring 30 points, the Knicks dropped to 2-2, ever since acquiring Melo and Billups in the blockbuster trade.
Jameer Nelson scored 26 points on a 10-for-16 shooting from the field in Orlando’s win. Ryan Anderson pulled out 16 points from the bench.
The Knicks could not come out of the spell Orlando held them under. Magic broke its own wall that was holding them from getting a tough win this season.
There was no limit to the joy of team Orlando when they cut Knicks’ lead and went surpassing them in the second half. The winners were faltering behind the Knicks in the first half of the game, 58-47.
Having entered the third stanza, the Magic opened up a flash of free throws after fouling Landry Fields and Anthony. Nelson followed with two layups and finished the third quarter with a slight difference, 79-84. Until the 9:28 mark in the final quarter,
Orlando trailed the Knicks, but after Anderson clinched a 3-pointer, things changed. That 3-pointer gave Magic a two-point lead over New York, 90-88. The Knicks tried to chase the Magic, but it didn’t save them from the fateful loss.
Quentin Richardson, who posted 10 points in the win, told the press that it was an important win as he said, "We got to the point where we drew the line and we said we're not going to let this one slip away.”
The Knicks bench could not score much in the loss. They posted 11 points only, whereas Orlando’s reserves outclassed Knicks bench by scoring 44 points, a margin of a whopping 33 points.
Orlando played an unmatchable defence in the third quarter and outscored the Knicks, 32-26. Magic gave away as many as 15 turnovers and were fouled 27 times in the game. The team still made an effort and held the Knicks to a loss. Orlando’s coach Stan Van
Gundy appreciated his team’s effort down the stretch and was quoted as saying, "Other than the turnovers (15) and too many fouls (27), I thought we played well. I didn't think we gave them an inordinate amount of easy shots."
Anthony put the loss on lack of practice and said, "I don't like to make excuses, but not being together on the defensive end, not practicing, not getting the repetitions... I think it gets confusing out there at times. That will come with time."
Howard's big night came when he grabbed his ninth rebound in the third quarter. He is now the youngest player in the history of NBA who possesses 7,000 rebounds. The player is just 25 years and 83 days old and broke the record of Wilt Chamberlain who was
26 years and 128 days old when he recorded it.
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