New York Knicks visit Orlando Magic for a vital fixture – NBA Preview
The New York Knicks are all set to take on the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center in Orlando on Thursday. This fixture is very important for both the Knicks and Orlando. The Knicks are dangerously close to being replaced by the
Milwaukee Bucks at the 8th place in the Eastern Conference, which will cost them the playoff spot.
The Orlando Magic, on the other hand, are coming into this match having lost their previous four fixtures, and will be looking to regain their footing so they do not lose out on their high playoff seed this late in the season.
The Magic have played their last two games without star centre Dwight Howard, who missed the games due to back spasms. The loss cost the Magic heavily, as they gave away 56 points in the paint in Tuesday’s loss to Detroit. In the
loss before that, they allowed the Nuggets to shoot a staggering 55.6% from the field.
Howard has missed the last two games but Orlando has lost their last four. They have allowed their opponents to score more than 100 points in each of their last four games, which is poor for a team allowing only 92.7 points per
game for the season.
"We don't guard when Dwight is on the floor and we don't guard when Dwight is off the floor. If that doesn't change in the next three weeks, we aren't going anywhere" said Magic coach Stan Van Gundy.
The Knicks also come into this game having suffered a loss at the hands of the Indiana Pacers, but are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Nonetheless, Knicks are suffering from injury troubles, with Jeremy Lin and Amare Stoudemire both
unavailable due to injuries. Jeremy Lin is not expected to return for the season.
In the absence of Lin and Amare, Carmelo Anthony has taken the offense duties on his shoulders. He is averaging 29.4 points with a field goal percentage of 50% in his last five games. However, even after scoring 39 points in the
Knicks last encounter against Indiana, he could not guarantee a win for his team.
Head to head, these two teams have played twice this season. On 16th January, Orlando won against New York in New York, but lost to them on March 28 at Madison Square Garden. Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points in that
game and the Knicks shot 50.6% from the field. Nevertheless, Orlando has won the last four meetings between the two teams in Orlando.
It remains to be seen whether New York can step up to the plate to keep their playoff hopes alive or will Orlando bring their defensive game for which they are famous in the league, with or without Dwight Howard.
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