Jalen Brunson, Knicks Clinch NBA Cup Quarterfinal Berth, Excite Fans in Win vs. Magic
The New York Knicks are off to the NBA Cup quarterfinals.
Headlined by Karl-Anthony Towns' 23 points and 15 rebounds, the Knicks blew out the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, 121-106, and secured the top spot in Group A.
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Jalen Brunson added 21 points and four assists, while Franz Wagner led Orlando with 30 points and six assists.
With the victory, the Knicks moved to 4-0 in NBA Cup play, while the Magic dropped to 3-1. Despite the blowout loss, the Magic had enough of a positive points differential (plus-45) to ensure a berth in the quarters as well as the top second-place finisher in the Eastern Conference.
Their top competition in that regard, the Boston Celtics, finished with a plus-23 differential, while the Detroit Pistons finished at plus-seven. That means the Milwaukee Bucks will host the Magic, while the Knicks will host the Atlanta Hawks.
After the game, NBA fans and pundits praised the Knicks for securing a spot in the quarters:
Granted, all the Magic had to do to advance was not lose by 37 or more points, so it wasn't exactly a must-win game for Orlando. But that point differential actually came into play after the Knicks took a 31-point lead into the fourth quarter.
That gave an otherwise meaningless final stretch actual importance, with folks appreciating the NBA Cup in that regard:
As for the regular-season standings, the Knicks moved to 13-8 on the season, good for fifth in the Eastern Conference, while the Magic dropped to 15-8, a game ahead of the Knicks in fourth place.
