THE Knicks hosted the Magic on Friday and they put the clamps on Orlando, limiting the Disneylanders to a paltry 74 points, the worst outing all season by any team in the league and the first time the Magic had scored less than 92 points in 2023-24.
The win saw New York overtake Orlando in the Eastern Conference standings to regain possession of the No. 1 seed. 4th seed a half-game above the Magic and 3.5 games behind the no. 3 Milwaukee and four games under Cleveland.
Here’s what coach Tom Thibodeau and a few other players said after yesterday’s game.
Tom Thibodeau
On the win against Orlando and what the Knicks need to do to keep winning games…
“I thought we played well from start to finish. Being shorthanded right now, we have to do it with our defense and rebounding and limit turnovers.
“When we fly and work together like that and we have the type of activity we did, it gives us a chance to win.”
“Every game we have a chance to win. If we defend, rebound and take care of the ball, we will be in a position to win. It doesn’t matter who you play, it doesn’t matter where.
On Jalen Brunson’s quick return after injuring his knee last weekend…
“You have nothing but respect for him because he’s doing everything he can to come back. Two training sessions a day, he is on the ground. He pushes himself in training. He comes early, stays late. Go through practice. He comes back at night, gets treatment. He trains again, then prepares, doesn’t take any days off, and that’s why he can do what he does.
Jalen Brunson
On the game against the Magic after losing the previous three games before Friday…
“We knew they knew our number.”
“Every win is a big win, no matter who it is. Clearly, in the standings we are alongside them, but no matter who we play against, we have to step up every game with the same mentality and the same state of mind.
On his return after missing just one game (last Tuesday against Atlanta) due to a bruised knee…
“I’ve thought of a thousand different situations of what it could have been, and I’m just glad it wasn’t.”
“It was at seven o’clock that I found out I was playing.”
Josh Hart
Beating Orlando wire to wire and limiting them to a season-low 76 points…
“We were really, really aggressive, with the ball, without the ball, in the rotations, we were really really in sync today. Very active in our shell. We did it and we were able to get out and run a little bit.
On the tight seeding race brewing in the Eastern Conference…
“We know what the issues are. We’re still locked into the scouting report, so I wouldn’t say [facing Orlando in particular] gave us more juice. But the level of concentration was there.
On Jalen Brunson returning to the lineup and welcoming a few more players soon…
“[He gave us] a big boost. We have guys who can fill the void, but it’s great to have him back.
“To get a good win against a good team, especially when tough games are coming up, I hope we get the guys back and get back to regular programming.”
Jamahl Mosley (Orlando Magic head coach)
On the defeat at the Garden and against the Knicks for the first time this season, and what to remember from this defeat…
“You have to give New York a lot of credit. They came out, they were very physical. Not just their physicality, but their ability to make shots, to open guys up…”
“It’s the atmosphere that we’re going to have to get used to. This is excellent preparation for moving forward. This is exactly what the playoffs will look like. No excuses about that.
