Franz Wagner scores 21 in the fourth as Magic beat Knicks 111-102, dropping the defending champs to 0-3

Final: Magic 111, Knicks 102. Franz Wagner scored 21 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, and the Orlando Magic rallied from 10 points down to beat the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, Oct. 25.

The loss dropped the reigning NBA champion Knicks to 0-3. According to The Associated Press, they are the first defending champion to start 0-3 since the 2011-12 Dallas Mavericks. It was also Orlando’s first win under coach Sean Sweeney, though it came with a scare: guard Jalen Suggs was helped off with a knee injury late in the game.

Magic vs. Knicks score by quarter

How Orlando came back

New York opened on a 12-0 run but led only by four at halftime. The Knicks still looked in control at 86-76 after an OG Anunoby floater with 9:20 left, AP reported.

Then Wagner took over. After starting 1 of 10 from the field, he scored nine points in an 11-0 run that gave Orlando its first lead of the night, 87-86, with 7:25 to play. The Magic outscored New York 35-16 over the last nine-plus minutes and 40-27 in the fourth quarter.

The Knicks committed eight of their 14 turnovers in the final period, according to AP.

Magic vs. Knicks player stats

Top performers, per the NBA.com box score:

Orlando shot 18 of 42 (42.9%) from 3-point range. New York went 9 of 38 (23.7%). Anthony Black, playing his first game of the season after missing two with an ankle injury, made five of his seven 3-point attempts off the bench.

Jalen Suggs injury

Suggs went down under the basket after an apparent non-contact knee injury while driving in the fourth quarter. He needed help to get to the locker room and did not return, Sporting News reported. He finished with four points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Sweeney said he spoke briefly with Suggs after the game and that the guard was in “good spirits,” and that Suggs would be evaluated, according to Sporting News. No diagnosis had been announced as of early Monday. Orlando was already without leading scorer Paolo Banchero, who is expected to miss multiple weeks with an ankle injury.

Knicks record: 0-3 and looking for answers

The Knicks entered Sunday 29th in offensive efficiency, ESPN reported. Brunson scored 28 but shot 12 of 28 and missed six of seven 3-point tries.

“Everything falls on my shoulders,” Brunson said, according to ESPN. “I just got to be a better leader when it comes to that.”

Coach Mike Brown was blunt. “Games like this will tell us, our crap stinks. It does,” he said. “There’s no light switch we can just turn on and go and win the ballgame.”

Asked whether his team looked a step slow, Brown said: “Yeah, we do.”

What’s next

• Knicks: host the unbeaten Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.
• Magic (1-2): visit the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.

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