Knicks takeaways from Thursday’s 111-106 loss to Magic, including big nights from Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley

The Knicks’ losing streak was pushed to three games as they fell 111-106 to the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.

The Knicks were without star point guard Jalen Brunson, who was ruled out due to a sprained right hand, and it certainly showed on both ends of the court.

Here are the takeaways…

– In Brunson’s place, Immanuel Quickley jumped into the starting lineup alongside Quentin Grimes, Julius Randle, R.J. Barrett, and Mitchell Robinson.

– The Knicks got off to a bit of a slow start offensively, shooting just 30 percent in the first quarter. Randle, Barrett, and Quickley struggled early shooting a combined 2-for-15 from the field.

The only “Knick with the knack,” as Walt Clyde Frazier would say, was Grimes. He picked up where he left off on Wednesday night, starting the game 4-for-6 for 10 early points.

Despite the early struggles, the Knicks found themselves trailing by just two points, 24-22, at the end of the first quarter.

– The Knicks’ offensive woes continued opening the second, and Orlando started the quarter on a 20-5 run, stretching the lead all the way up to 17. Cole Anthony drilled a pair of threes, and both Franz Wagner and Mo Wagner dominated.

With three minutes remaining in the second quarter, Quickley was the first Knick other than Grimes to knock down a three-pointer. That gave them the spark they needed, as they were able to cut the lead down to eight (53-45) entering the break.

Before that though, Randle let his emotions get the most of him again, and he was hit with a technical foul for the third straight game.

Grimes was by far the Knicks’ best player in the half as he led all scorers with 13 points and contributed four assists, four rebounds, and two steals. As a team, they shot 32 percent from the field and just 22 percent from behind the arc.

– The Magic came out of the locker room with a full head of steam. With Paolo Banchero and Wagner leading the way, they pushed the lead back up to as many as 19.

However, Grimes and the Knicks refused to go away. The red-hot shooting guard scored five straight points to spark a 23-4 New York run. Two Quickley free throws with four seconds left evened things up at 75.

– The teams traded baskets early on in the final frame. Three straight buckets from Randle, who mainly struggled on the night, kept the Knicks within five about halfway through the quarter.

Orlando hit some clutch threes down the stretch, but New York continued to hang around. A pair of free throws from Banchero late put the game on ice and secured the 111-106 win for the Magic.

– Grimes and Quickley led the way with 25 points each. After a slow start, Randle contributed 23 points and nine rebounds. Barrett struggled, shooting just 3-for-12 from the field for 10 points. 

Highlights

What’s next

After the back-to-back, the Knicks (42-33) have the weekend off before they return home to take on the Houston Rockets at The Garden on Monday night at 7:30 p.m.

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