Hernangomez steps in to help Knicks top Magic
NEW YORK -- Derrick Rose tossed in 19 points and reserve center Willy Hernangomez added 15 points to lead the New York Knicks to a 106-95 win over the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
Kyle O'Quinn contributed 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds in recording his third double-double of the season for the Knicks (16-13).
Serge Ibaka led the Magic (13-18) with 23 points and 10 rebounds and Evan Fournier added 21 points.
With Kristaps Porzingis forced to leave the game with a bruised right knee with 11:58 to play, Hernangomez took over. He contributed 10 straight points to provide the Knicks with a 92-78 lead with 8:15 to play.
Porzingis finished with 12 points and two blocked shots in 26 minutes. Carmelo Anthony scored 15 points, but made just 5 of his 17 shots.
A layup from Ibaka brought Orlando to within 59-54, but the Knicks responded with a 14-2 burst to roll ahead 73-56 with 4:51 left in the third.
Porzingis led the charge with five points.
The Knicks were tenacious on the boards in the first half, outrebounding the Magic 28-14. New York was particularly effective on the offensive glass, getting 15 second chance points to help it to a 57-47 edge.
The Knicks led 27-19 after the first quarter, then extended the lead to 44-28 by outscoring the Magic 17-9 in the first six minutes of the second quarter.
NOTES: The Westchester Knicks, New York's NBA Development League team, traded F Cleanthony Early, the Knicks' 2014 second-round draft pick, to Santa Cruz, the D-League team of the Golden State Warriors, for G Courtney Fells in a three-team deal that involved the D-League's Texas Legends. Early averaged 4.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game in 56 games with the Knicks spanning two seasons. ... Orlando was without G Jodie Meeks, who was attending his grandmother's funeral. ... Knicks G Sasha Vujacic had not played in 11 games this season due to coaches decision. He played one minute Thursday.