The Knicks haven’t quite run out of Magic.
It was certainly dicey on Thursday, but the Knicks survived a 94-93 victory against the Magic, riding their star Julius Randle and getting a pivotal steal from Reggie Bullock in the final moments.
The Magic (13-27) have been miserable this season and lost its ninth consecutive game, but took the Knicks (21-21) to the brink. Trailing by 1 with about 10 seconds left, Orlando’s Evan Fournier’s pass was intercepted by Bullock and the Knicks dribbled out the clock.
It followed the Knicks’ two consecutive losses — against the Nets and 76ers — when they faltered down the stretch.
On Thursday, the Knicks were shorthanded but didn’t need a point guard because they had Randle. The power forward All-Star recorded a career-high 17 assists, adding to his 18 points and 10 rebounds to become the first Knick to have at least three triple-doubles in a season since Micheal Ray Richardson in 1981-82.
His fadeaway with 2:38 remaining gave the Knicks a five-point advantage, but Orlando responded with a 6-2 run to set up the wild finish. The Magic twice missed opportunities to take the lead in the final 45 seconds — first Dwayne Bacon’s bricked 3-pointer, then Fournier’s turnover.
Bullock and Alec Burks combined for 41 points and nine 3-pointers for the Knicks. Fournier dropped 23 points on 9-of-21 shooting for the Magic.
The Knicks were pummeled by absences in their backcourt, with Derrick Rose (COVID health and safety protocols), Immanuel Quickley (sprained ankle) and Elfrid Payton (hamstring strain) all inactive.
It left Frank Ntilikina as the only point guard, but the Frenchman’s unreliable ballhandling/playmaking prompted Thibodeau also push Alec Burks into the starting lineup. It didn’t go particularly well. The Knicks trailed 20-10 after six minutes, but recovered after substitutions and carried a one-point advantage into halftime.
Three Knicks scored in double-digits in the first half: RJ Barrett, Burks and Bullock, who was taken out of the starting lineup for Burks. Randle didn’t shoot well, but had 10 assists before the break.
Thibodeau switched up the lineup to start the third quarter, swapping out Burks for Bullock. It proved more effective, with the Knicks starting the third quarter on a 14-4 run. The Magic trailed by as many as 16 in the third quarter, but entered the final period on a 10-0 run that transitioned to the nailbiter before the buzzer.
Rose, meanwhile, did return to the team following a 16-day absence while in health and safety protocols, but even though he was allowed on the bench, he couldn’t play.
“There’s a number of steps you have to take when you return to the team, so he’s doing that,” Thibodeau said.
Quickley sustained his ankle sprain Tuesday in Philadelphia, played the second half but was ruled out against the Magic. Thibodeau labeled his absence “precautionary.”
