NEW YORK _ Things looked bleak for the Orlando Magic when they took the Madison Square Garden floor Sunday night.
Jonathan Isaac, nursing a sprained ankle, was already set to miss his fifth consecutive game. Then just before tipoff, Orlando forward Aaron Gordon was also declared out for the game with an ankle injury.
No problem.
The Magic came out firing away and, despite the cold New York temperatures outside, heated up the world's most famous arena en route to a 115-89 victory. The final margin was no indication of the lopsided affair, with the Magic having led by as many as 34 points in the third quarter.
Orlando set a strong pace from the start that the Knicks couldn't match, hitting 48 percent of their floor shots, including 4 of 8 3-pointers as they bolted out to a 30-10 lead after the first quarter.
The problem for the Knicks was the Magic never really cooled off. Orlando just kept making shots while the Knicks weren't doing much of anything. The Magic extended the lead to 28 points in the second quarter and the only question left in this game was whether the Magic could finally keep a lead.
Orlando had blown big leads in previous games this season, like the 26-point margin they held at San Antonio before letting the Spurs back into the game and narrowly holding on for a seven-point victory.
The doubt, if any, against the Knicks was short-lived. Struggling New York made only 31 percent of its field goals in the first half, including a paltry 1-of-15 from 3-point range, and Orlando easily dominated this road match. New York finished the game 4 of 27 from beyond the arc.
Terrence Ross was the hottest Magic player, blistering the Knicks for 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting. He hit 5-of-8 3-pointers. Nikola Vucevic posted his third double-double of the season with 21 points and 14 rebounds, Evan Fournier had 12 points and Mohamed Bamba, with his mother in the crowd, finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.
Magic backup point guard Jerian Grant was 3-of-4 from 3-point range, posting nine points and eight assists. Jonathon Simmons also had nine points to go with seven assists. Wes Iwundu had a nice floor game, played solid defense and pulled down eight rebounds.
The Magic turned the ball over just six times while the Knicks gave it up 16 times.
