The Knicks hadn't lost three straight all season, but this loss to the injury-riddled Magic really put a stop to their ugliest shooting and play of the year.
Again, for effect, this was downright ugly.
With Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined for the third time this season with a right knee issue, the Knicks couldn't overcome a miserable night from the outside, losing 103-94 to Orlando at the Garden, extending a three-game losing streak. I couldn't.
The Knicks have made just 4 of 22 3-pointers, one more than their season NBA low, and have shot just 28.8 percent from deep over their past six games overall.
Mikal Bridges scored 24 points but missed 5 of 6 from long range as the Knicks (24-13) started 12 of 14 home games with a clunker. They started the day tied with the Pacers for the most road games in the league (13-8).
For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson had 24 points before fouling out, Josh Hart added 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Cole Anthony led the way for the Magic with 24 points.
“Obviously, we had a tough schedule and now it's reversed. I think we [have] 6 times in a row [at home]'' Tom Thibodeau said before the game. “But you can’t look at it as a whole, you just have to focus on the game in front of you, and I think that’s important.
“Make sure you do what you need to do to win.”
Thibodeau's team certainly did that with its first three wins since Dec. 3 against the Magic (22-16). Fourth-place Orlando is one spot behind the Knicks in the Eastern Conference standings despite the injury absences of Paolo Banchero, brothers Franz and Moe Wagner, and most recently, Jalen Suggs.
After Towns limped off the court late in Saturday's game against Chicago, Jericho Sims made his third start of the season and had four points and 10 rebounds in 29 minutes.
Bridges scored nine points and Brunson missed his first five shots but scored eight points in the final 1:05 as the Knicks held a 28-24 lead through the first quarter.
The Magic took a three-point lead midway through the second, but the Knicks missed 12 of 15 3-pointers in the first half and trailed 53-51 by intermission.
Shortly after Brunson sat down after getting poked in the eye by Goga Bitadze, Anthony's 3-point shot widened the lead to 8 points.
Brunson returned with 4:25 left and sank a couple of short-range buckets to pull the Knicks within two points before back-to-back treys by Jonathan Isaac and Wendell Carter Jr. sparked an 8-0 Magic spurt. And they won with two free throws by Anthony Black. 75-65 game.
Precious Achiuwa's jumper and Bridges' free throw cut the deficit to seven points heading into the final period.
Carter's pull-up jumper gave the Knicks a 10-point lead with 6:55 left, but Achiuwa's dunk and Brunson's baseline fadeaway gave the Knicks some hope for a comeback.
But Kentavious Caldwell-Pope sank a 3-pointer and Carter followed up an Achiuwa turnover with 3:04 left for a 95-84 lead, the largest of the game.
