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.

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.