TRICK KNEE
Zing ding can't keep Knicks from making Magic
The Knicks routed Orlando on Thursday, 106-95, but whether a Merry Kristaps will go on as planned Sunday no longer is a given.
Knicks phenom Kristaps Porzingis limped off the court in the opening minute of the fourth quarter after banging knees with Orlando’s rugged center Nikola Vucevic and left the game for good with “a contused right knee.” It doesn’t appear serious.
“We’ll see how it feels [Friday]” Porzingis said. “It hurts a little bit today. I wanted to come back in the game. They wanted me to be cautious and not put me back in. It’s not that bad. I’ll see how it feels [Friday] and go from there.”
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said “it was better for him” not to return. It will be the most wonderful time of the year if Porzingis suits up for his first Christmas game at the Garden in a key noon showdown with the Celtics. Last year, the Knicks were bumped from playing on Christmas.
The good news is the Knicks moved to 2-0 on this three-game homestand by crushing Orlando the way George Karl crushed Carmelo Anthony in his memoir. They didn’t need a good shooting night from Anthony (5-of-17 for 15 points) because the Knicks got six players in double- figures to move to 16-13 while the young Magic fell to 13-18.
Three Knicks facing their former club had solid games, led by Brandon Jennings, who dished out 12 assists in 22 minutes. The Magic traded for Jennings last February, he barely played, and they showed no interest in resigning him.
“It was like one of my worst experiences of my career [in Orlando],” Jennings said. “It just didn’t pan out the way I thought. I definitely had an edge coming into tonight.”
With Derrick Rose back, Jennings has returned to his effective role with the second unit and lit up the team in the second period. Jennings dished out eight assists in just 11 minutes and made one harassing defensive play in the backcourt on an inbounds pass, forcing Orlando’s Elfrid Payton to step on the end line.
“Guys had it going early,” Jennings said. “It was definitely fun to see guys make shots. Once I got in a rhythm like that, I’m just keep passing.”
Emerging backup center Kyle O’Quinn, who left Orlando as a free agent in 2015 after three seasons, wrecked the Magic for 14 points and 16 rebounds.
“It’s a personal thing,” O’Quinn said.
Courtney Lee, the Knicks’ leader in 3-point shooting, notched 10 points (4-of-7), with three assists and three rebounds against the team that drafted him and for which he played in the Finals.
Porzings was injured after taking a pass from Justin Holiday in the post. He got hit sideways on the way up by Vucevic and the ball popped in the air. Immediately hobbled, Porzingis didn’t join his mates upcourt. After a stoppage, Porzingis came off with 11:38 left.
“Once I got the ball, I turned, I started going up, and I banged my knee against Vucevic’s knee, and I just threw it up there because it was a sharp pain in my knee,” Porzingis said.
He finished with 12 points in 27 minutes, but when he left, rookie center Willy Hernangomez picked up the slack and finished with 15 points, making 7-of-11 shots.
The giddy Garden heard its first “We Want Baker!” chants in reference to Wichita State cult hero Ron Baker. He came in with 1:20 left, and with the fans roaring, he fired up a 20-footer that hit off the rim.
“I wished I could’ve pleased the crowed with that bucket at the end,” Baker said. “But I had fun in the minute I played. I’ve never had that much love in a game of basketball as far the crowd chanting like that. To get that in the best arena in the world was fascinating and special to me.”