Vucevic, Payton propel Magic past Knicks
NEW YORK -- Nikola Vucevic and Elfrid Payton came off the bench to record double-doubles in the Orlando Magic's 115-103 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday.
Vucevic scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for his team-leading 17th double-double. Payton contributed 13 points and a career-tying 14 assists for the Magic (16-20) for his third double-double this season.
Jodie Meeks scored a season-high 23 points for Orlando. Meeks was starting in place of Evan Fournier, who was out with a right heel injury. Fournier leads the Magic in scoring averaging (17.8 points).
Serge Ibaka and Aaron Gordon scored 22 points apiece for the Magic.
Carmelo Anthony had 19 points to lead the Knicks (16-18), who have dropped five in a row. He made just 6 of his 17 shots. Derrick Rose chipped in with 18 points.
The Knicks were without forward Kristaps Porzingis, who missed his second straight game with a sore left Achilles.
Orlando struck on 15 of its 31 3-pointers (48.4 percent). The Magic entered the game with the league's third worst 3-point field goal percentage (.334).
The Magic turned a 92-82 lead into a 101-84 bulge with a 9-2 spurt midway through the fourth quarter.
A 12-3 burst by the Magic gave them a 92-75 cushion with 1:12 left in the third quarter. Ibaka led the charge with seven points.
The Knicks had difficulty defending beyond the arc, leaving the perimeter wide open for the Magic to connect on 4 of their 7 three-pointers in the second quarter. Orlando shot 52 percent from the floor in the half and led 67-59.
Orlando took a 67-57 lead, its largest of the first half, on Meeks' fourth 3-pointer of the game at the 1:54 mark.
Orlando opened the second quarter with a 7-0 run, extending its lead to 40-34.
Meeks poured in 14 first quarter points, including 3 of 4 from long distance, to help the Magic to a 33-32 edge.
NOTES: The Magic placed C Stephen Zimmerman on the inactive list and activated C Arinze Onuaku. ... Orlando G Evan Fournier missed his fifth straight game with a contused right heel. ... The Knicks defeated the Magic 106-95 on Dec. 22 at Madison Square Garden. ... The Knicks face Eastern Conference opponents in 14 of their 17 games in January. ... Magic F Serge Ibaka has led the Magic in scoring eight times in the first 35 games of the season. During seven seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Ibaka led or tied for the team lead in scoring just 10 times.