NEW YORK (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored 20 points, Cole Anthony had 10 of his 15 in the fourth quarter and the Orlando Magic beat the New York Knicks 98-94 on Monday to snap a three-game losing streak.
Wendell Carter Jr. added 17 points for the Magic, going 7 for 11 off the bench in a strong return after missing five games with right knee tendinitis.
The Magic trailed by 11 in the third quarter and didn’t have much going offensively most of the day. But they took charge midway through the final period and grabbed the lead for good at 90-89 when Anthony tipped in a missed shot with 3:45 to play.
Banchero then knocked down consecutive jumpers for a five-point lead, which was plenty with the way the Knicks struggled.
Deuce McBride scored a career-high 20 points in a second straight start in place of Jalen Brunson, who has a bruised left calf. OG Anunoby added 17, but Julius Randle shot just 5 for 18 and was held to 15 points.
The Knicks lost on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for the third straight time, falling to 23-15 on the holiday.
The Knicks had played a league-low 15 home games entering the day and 24 on the road. But the schedule turned favorable starting Monday, with a four-game homestand this week and seven straight in New York — six at Madison Square Garden and a game Jan. 23 at Brooklyn.
But they started it with a mostly miserable offensive performance, shooting under 40% and 68.2% on free throws, going a dismal 2 for 6 in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks led 52-50 at halftime despite Randle going just 1 for 8 for four points and missing 15 of their 20 3-point attempts.
