New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic
Game 34: January 2, 2017
Magic 115, Knicks 103

Written by Eric Weinstein – @ericcweinsteinn
flagrant2blog.blogspot.com

This game was what I like to call, “bowling shoe ugly.”

So after dropping four games in a row, The Knicks hosted the Orlando Magic on Monday night in a game that most thought would be a nice way for them to get back to their winning ways and snap out of this funk. Even without Kristaps Porzingis, the Magic should have been an easy win, right? Wrong. In a miserable game, the Knicks lost to the Magic, 115-103. Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 19 points, and Derrick Rose went for 18 points and 4 assists. Jodie Meeks, AKA Ray Allen, apparently, paced Orlando with 26 points on 7-9 shooting, including 6-7 from downtown. Serge Ibaka and Aaron Gordon each put up 22 points for the Magic.

Takeaways from this game:

All around bad:

Not much to takeaway from this game, as the Knicks were just plain bad on pretty much all aspects of this one. Their defense on the three point line was basically non-existent against a team that doesn’t shoot a high percentage from anywhere, and guys were just camping out in the paint for offensive rebounds and easy putbacks. Players like Elfrid Payton and Nikola Vucevic, who are in the doghouse down in Orlando, tore the Knicks apart coming off the bench. Both these guys had double-doubles, and the Knicks had no answer for them defensively.

Orlando shot 49% from the floor, and 48% from behind the three point line. You make it hard for yourself if you allow a team to shoot like that, not to mention the 35 assists they handed out.

You just can’t lose this one:

So if I’m on the New York Knicks, and I’m on a team with goals of being a top team in the Eastern Conference, then there is no way that my team can lose by double digits at home to a team like the Magic. It is just that simple. This team wants to compete with the likes of Cleveland, Toronto, and Boston? Good luck if you’re going to come out with that type of effort at home. Jeff Hornacek has to do something to get this team out of this.

Yeah, I know, your friend and mine, Kristaps Porzingis, hasn’t played the past two games, but there is no use in crying that he isn’t on the floor. Other teams have injuries, but that doesn’t mean they just give up on the season, does it? Hopefully, when KP gets back it will light a fire under this team, because the lack of effort on both ends of the court has just been absolutely alarming, considering we thought we had been watching a team that could compete for a top 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Ok, sorry if this was more of a rant than it was a recap, but it has to be said. The effort and attitude on this team sucks right now, and the body language of the Knicks looks like they’re just going through the motions. When a team of veterans is put together like this, they need to lead by example, not just pack it in when it gets a little rough. On Wednesday the Knicks will see another unicorn make his way to the Garden in Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Milwaukee Bucks. A team that is in front of the Knicks in the conference standings, and a game that will not be an easy one at all. New York needs to get there act together and find a way to win this one, before they dig too big a hole for themselves to crawl out of.

By the way, the Knicks haven’t won since Phil changed his relationship status on FaceBook to, “single” (from Frank Isola). #WeMissYouJeanie