The New York Knicks and Orlando Magic will face each other on Friday, December 29. This will be the first match between the two this season. The last time these two teams faced each other was on March 23, when Orlando won 111-106. Paolo Banchero scored 21 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals in that match and led his team to the win. The Magic holds a slight edge against the Knicks, 64-62. The New York Knicks and Orlando Magic’s game scheduled for Friday will be held at the Kia Center.
Match Preview
The Knicks are coming off a 129-122 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas. However, they followed that up with a blowout against the Oklahoma City Thunder, 129-120. They have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games and will look to improve on their 17-13 record with a win on Friday. The Knicks currently stand in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. The Magic is 18–12 on the season and in fifth place in the Eastern place. However, after making a strong start to the 2023–24 season, they have been going through a tough time and have managed to win only four of their last 10 games. Their most recent loss came against the Philadelphia 76ers (112–92).
Expected Starting lineup of both teams
The New York Knicks will be playing their match against the Thunder without Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims. Robinson is likely to be out for the rest of the season with a left ankle injury, while Sims is expected to be out for two weeks with a right ankle sprain. The Knicks starting lineup is expected to look like this: Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Julius Randle, RJ Barrett and Isaiah Hartenstein.
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Just like the Knicks, the Orlando Magic also have a few more injury concerns. Markelle Fultz and Joe Ingles have been ruled out following knee and ankle injuries respectively. While Jonathan Isaac and Gary Harris are questionable. Orlando’s starting lineup is expected to look like this: Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr.
Prediction
The Magic are slightly favorites to win against the Knicks. Orlando is in its rebuilding phase this season and is performing greatly. They will definitely look to score a strong win against the Knicks as well. The game is expected to go over 228 points.
