Jalen Brunson returned to the Knicks on Friday night and scored a game-high 26 points to lead New York to a wire-to-wire 98-74 win over the visiting Orlando Magic in a clash with pivotal Eastern Conference playoff implications.
With their fourth win in the last 12 games, the Knicks moved a half-game ahead of the Magic -- who had their five-game winning streak snapped -- into fourth place in the East. The top four teams in each conference have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Brunson missed Tuesday's 116-100 loss to the Atlanta Hawks with a left knee bruise suffered in the opening minute of Sunday's 107-98 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Precious Achiuwa (15 points, 14 rebounds) posted a double-double and added five blocks for the Knicks, who allowed their fewest points in a game since a 103-65 win over the Washington Wizards on April 13, 2012.
Josh Hart had 19 points while Miles McBride scored 14 points off the bench. Donte DiVincenzo added 11 points for New York, which remains without OG Anunoby (right elbow surgery), Julius Randle (right shoulder) and Mitchell Robinson (left ankle surgery).
Paolo Banchero (23 points, nine rebounds) just missed a double-double for the Magic, whose 74 points were the fewest by an NBA team in a game this season and the fewest by Orlando since a 108-72 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on March 13, 2018. Franz Wagner scored 13 points and reserve Jonathan Isaac added 11 points.
Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein combined for all the points in a game-opening 8-0 run by the Knicks, who led by as many as 12 before the Magic got within six points.
New York led 31-23 after one quarter and Orlando got within seven points in the second before the Knicks began taking control with a 9-0 run over the final 3:16 to take their biggest lead of the half at 55-39.
The Magic didn't score from the floor in the first 3:16 of the third quarter. The Knicks led by as many as 26 points in the third and cruised to the win.
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