MAGIC TRICK
Orlando makes Knick's four-game win streak disappear
Derek Fisher left himself open to a 7foot3sized secondguess.
With a frigidshooting Kristaps Porzingis benched for much of the fourth quarter, the Knicks coach couldn’t find any answers to stop Magic center Nikola Vucevic — or any other Orlando player.
Despite Lance Thomas providing a huge boost with a career high tying 24 points on 9-for9 shooting, keeping the Knicks in the game, the Magic pulled away down the stretch for a 10799 victory Monday night at the Garden to snap the Knicks’ four game winning streak.
“No moral victories,” Thomas said. “I hate to lose. It sucks.”
Vucevic scorched the Knicks for 26 points, making 13of19 shots, mostly abusing center Robin Lopez. But Fisher stuck with Lopez most of the fourth period, leaving the coach having to explain himself.
The Garden fans chanted “Porzingis’’ with two minutes left as the 7foot3 shotblocking Latvian sat glued to the pine. Fisher finally put Porzingis back into the game with 1:07 left after the Magic had gone on a gamesealing 70 run to go up 10494.
Fisher said he wasn’t comfortable going with Porzingis against the burly Vucevic, who the Knicks coach claimed would have been an AllStar the past two seasons if not for Orlando’s poor record.
“Just matchups,’’ Fisher said. “Physically, Robin can match size with Vucevic and Lance was playing well at the four spot. So, who do you take out? Either Lance or Carmelo [Anthony]. But that is not going to happen, especially the way Lance was playing. Those are tough calls to make, especially when playing from behind.’’
However, if Porzingis had been sharper offensively, Fisher may have been more willing to use him. The rookie’s shooting/scoring slump reached seven games and it has become a big issue.
Despite four blocks, Porzingis shot 3of12 for nine points, including 1of6 from 3point land. Porzingis is shooting 20of69 in his last seven games, dating to the start of the Knicks’ Western trip.
“My shot is feeling fine, it’s just not falling,’’ said Porzingis, who hauled in eight rebounds. “Maybe I am off balance or I need to take my time more, or maybe I need to be focused a little more. Those little things add up. Sooner or later they will fall again. I’m not too worried about that.”
Anthony, who scored 23 points with six assists despite playing on with a leftankle sprain, said Porzingis could use his teammates to assist through his first rough patch.
“It happens,’’ Anthony said. “We all go through it. We’ll help him get out of it. We got to do a better job of helping him figure this out right now while he’s not playing as well as he wants to.’’
Monday’s game was the second of an 11game stretch against teams with winning records. The Magic moved to 1612 and 20 against the Knicks, who fell below the .500 mark at 1415.
Lopez was paid $54 million to become their defensive center, but he showed
an inability to slow down Vucevic. Fisher was the only person at the Garden who didn’t seem to notice Lopez had no chance all night.
“[Vucevic] hit some tough shots, but he also sometimes got into the middle too easy,’’ Lopez said. “I don’t know if I offered enough resistance frequently enough.’’
Porzingis said he would have defended Vucevic differently.
“Strenghwise, I need to get stronger to hold that guy, but I use my activity and aggressiveness on defense when he’s trying to receive,” Porzingis said. “Robin is more a guy who can hold him. I’m more a guy who can dance a round him and maybe get a steal. That’s my game now.”
The Vucevic matchup wouldn’t have been as big a deal if perhaps Kyle O’Quinn (ankle sprain) were healthy or shooting guard Arron Afflalo didn’t lay an egg. Afflalo played his worst game as a Knick after a recent scorching stretch. He shot 2of8, scoring four points and allowing Evan Fournier (16 points) to do damage.
“It happens, st happens,’’ Afflalo said.
Thomas, Fisher’s vital bench piece, had a terrific outing on both ends and that should no longer be a surprise. He singlehandedly got the Knicks back into the game, scoring 22 secondhalf points, hitting 3point bombs, driving to the hole for buckets and playing his usual dynamic defense.
“His confidence is there because he put the work in,’’ Fisher said.
Fisher also decided to use rookie point guard Jerian Grant down the stretch. Grant had done some nice things defensively early in the fourth quarter with a couple of steals but he didn’t run the offense well late and then let Fournier hit a couple of late big shots.
Before the game, Fisher downplayed Porzingis’ offensive slump, saying: “I got to read more of what you guys are writing. I did not know it was a story.’’
It is now, Fish.