Knicks at Magic
The Orlando Magic are looking for positives out of the last 27 games of a disappointing season, and one would be to win more on their home court. The Magic own an Eastern Conference-low six victories at home as they prepare to host the struggling New York Knicks on Wednesday night. The Knicks are losers of four straight, have the least wins in the league with 10 and leading scorer Carmelo Anthony left Monday’s loss at Miami in the fourth quarter after aggravating a left knee injury.
Anthony, who stands fifth in the league in scoring at 24.2 points, recorded 25 points in New York’s 113-106 win over Orlando on Jan. 23 but will likely sit out his 13th game of the season. The Magic are also expected to be without their second-leading scorer Tobias Harris, who is suffering from a sore right knee. Orlando has lost 12 of its last 13 and is 1-2 since the firing of coach Jacque Vaughn, including a 96-80 loss at Washington on Monday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), FSN Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE KNICKS (10-42): Anthony told reporters, “I’m restricted. I’m not getting that power, that bounce,” after scoring 26 in the 109-95 defeat at Miami on Monday. Without Anthony, veteran center and Lake Wales, Fla., native Amar’e Stoudemire is the top scorer on the team while averaging 12.2 points and 6.9 rebounds. Langston Galloway scored 15 in the last meeting with Orlando and is averaging 11.3 points since joining the team in early January, but is shooting 31.7 percent from the field in February.
ABOUT THE MAGIC (16-39): Guard Evan Fournier has raised his level of play over the last two games while making 12-of-21 from the field en route to 32 points combined and has made 6-of-13 from behind the arc the past four. Nikola Vucevic recorded 34 points and 18 boards in the last game against the Knicks and leads the team in scoring (19.4) and rebounding (11.2). Victor Oladipo averages 16.5 points but shot only 34.8 percent from the field in the last four games -- 1-of-10 from beyond the arc the past three.
BUZZER-BEATERS
1. New York C Andrea Bargnani returned to play Monday and scored four points after missing 49 of the first 51 games due to various injuries.
2. Orlando SF Maurice Harkless had seven points in 11 minutes against Washington on Monday, his highest-scoring output since Nov. 17.
3. Knicks SF Lance Thomas is scoring 11.1 points over the last nine games, beginning with a 16-point effort against the Magic.