Pregame witnessed Chris kneeling, asking Heidi to join him throughout life’s curves… Heidi accepted without hesitation, sealing the deal with a center court smack lasting five seconds too long—can you say, “get a room?”
Riding eight wins each; New York and Orlando (19 and 18 losses respectively) jumped center court amongst a hefty crowd. For those lacking roster’s benefit, Orlando began atop Tobias Harris, Glen Davis, Nikola Vucevic, Arron Afflalo, and Jameer Nelson. New York’s challenge was supported by Carmelo Anthony, Andrea Bargnani, Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert, and Raymond Felton.
With niceties no longer our concern, now’s the time to get back to reality as two bottom-dwellers dangle it out.
Magic controlled the tip, finding a quick all-netter by Davis. New York reciprocated with a miss off the front iron. Thirty seconds pass and the Knicks tie the score with an uncontested layup. Nelson, not feeling the love, swished a three-pointer as the Magic secured a 5 to 3 lead.
The initial six minutes witnessed little drama, unless one considered marginal defensive effort as edge-of-the-seat suspense. During the first sit for a moment, the Knicks shadowed 14 to 16.
The final six minutes of the quarter replicated the opening six minutes…
- Knicks held a slight lead, 29/27
- Offenses had their way, neither team protected paint or long range
- New York shot an impressive 52% from the field while the Magic scorched at 54%
- Total of three free throw attempts, Knicks hitting their only one while Orlando missed both
With 36 minutes left in the game and nowhere to go, the moment was perfect for a holiday Facebook wish (if only I had a friend or two). Needless to say, the Magic bricked an air ball while the Knicks forgot offensive intent until Chandler slammed a notorious round ball through the dreaded net.
Three minutes in, Tim Hardaway Junior drilled a deuce, followed by a quick three… Magic down 38/32.
After a speedy timeout, Orlando sapped intensity with a turnover, followed by a NY two-pointer, an Orlando air ball, and another NY three. Down by 11, Orlando squeaked in a leaning two.
Teasing to be more than a bottom-feeder, the Knicks schooled the Magic, bullying to secure a 57 to 37 lead at the three minute mark.
Lacking a true go-to player, second quarter liquefied like a Salvador Dali painting, bent, misunderstood, and framed awkwardly. To summarize, Orlando trailed 65/41:
- Carmelo Anthony was simply too hot to handle, concluding the half with 17 points while JF Smith pocketed 14
- Orlando’s offense relaxed to 41% (beyond the arc, hitting 3 out of 13—can you say 23%?)
- On the flipside, NY hit an impressive 57% from long range (8 out of 14) and an equally strong 52% short range
Tagged, the Magic opened the half by forcing a quick Knick miss, followed by an Afflalo dunk… could a comeback really happen? With breath held tightly, Afflalo snagged a bombing net… Anthony, not liking the smell, drilled a three of his own.
Frustrated by a sprain, Carmelo Anthony left the third at the seven minute mark, only to be replaced by JR Smith. Down by 20, the Magic made the move as Tobias earned an old-fashioned three pointer. Within minutes (two to be exact), the Magic hustled as if they were sprinkled by dust, decreasing NY’s lead to 17. During the following two minutes, the Magic swayed, dwindling NY’s lead to 12.
Back from a NY timeout, the Magic held the line with confidence. Davis lessened the lead to 9. No longer playing the fish, Orlando believed in the third by owning the ball and rhythm.
By the time the third played out, the Magic regained respect, shrinking a 24-point deficit into an 8-point deficit (84/76):
- Afflalo played with moxie, leading all with 20
- Orlando reached an impressive 35 points for the quarter
- NY chilled, dropping their shooting percentage to 48%
The fourth opened with unwrapped enthusiasm. The Magic drove, rebounded, and even packaged solid defense. NY, frustrated by seeing their gaping lead lessen to one point, called timeout with eight minutes to go.
Three minutes beyond, the Knicks regrouped, pushing the lead to four. After a Magic timeout, Nelson hit rim, Knicks rebounded only to re-gift in the form of a turnover. Back and forth, the bottom-feeders refused to swallow the hook, line, and sinker without a fight.
After four minutes of possibilities, the Magic found themselves with the ball and trailing 97 to 93. Missing the front end, the Knicks took advantage of miscues, severing thoughts of a magical comeback.
Final outcome: Orlando fell to New York, 103 to 98
Wishing all a groovy Christmas and the very best to Heidi and Chris, time to say goodnight,
Danny Huffman
West Orlando News Online Event and Career Columnist
