Magic at Knicks
The pressure is beginning to build on the New York Knicks, who have yet to score 100 points in a game and have dropped five straight contests after a promising start. The Knicks look to start moving forward again, as they continue to learn first-year coach Derek Fisher’s new system, when the Orlando Magic visit Wednesday. The Magic might be the right opponent at the right time after they let an 11-point lead get away in the fourth quarter during a 104-100 loss at Toronto on Tuesday.
“It’s very frustrating because we deserved to win that one,” Orlando guard Evan Fournier told reporters Tuesday after the Magic’s 30th loss in their last 32 road games. Carmelo Anthony is shooting just under 34 percent during the Knicks’ losing streak and he isn’t getting much help on a team that has plummeted to last in the league in scoring (91.1). “We got to win games; that’s it,” Knicks guard Iman Shumpert told the New York Post. “It’s discouraging.”
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (2-6): There were plenty of positives to take out of the loss Tuesday in which the Magic made 12-of-25 from 3-point range and led the Eastern Conference’s top team with 2:20 left. Newcomers Channing Frye (19) and Fournier (24) also registered their season high in scoring while Tobias Harris notched his second double-double in three games. Orlando center Nikola Vucevic, who averaging 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds, is shooting 56.5 percent over the last four games and will be a tough matchup for the Knicks.
ABOUT THE KNICKS (2-6): Anthony is averaging 20.3 points, more than seven below his mark from 2013-14, and Shumpert (14.3) is the only other player producing more than 11.3 for the Knicks. New York has been forced to go with 22-year-old at point guard Shane Larkin with Jose Calderon out due to a calf injury, and the loss of center Andrea Bargnani (hamstring) has not helped the offense, either. Tim Hardaway Jr. is one Knick who has raised his game of late, averaging 16.5 in his last four contests after a slow start.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. New York G J.R. Smith, who is expected to play his 700th career game, is only 4-of-19 from 3-point range after averaging 6.5 attempts last season.
2. Orlando was 5-13 in the second game of back-to-backs last season and won its first one this season at Philadelphia.
3. The Knicks have won eight of the last nine meetings and four straight at home against the Magic.