For a half, the Knicks were able to hang with Orlando despite spotty defensive effort. Carmelo Anthony poured in 15 of his 23 points before the break, and Robin Lopez and Langston Galloway chipped in eight points apiece as Derek Fisher’s squad trailed by just six heading into the third.
That’s when Lance Thomas began to make his mark, injecting life into his team on both ends of the floor after scoring just two points in the first half; New York’s do-it-all wing erupted for 12 of his team-high 24 points in the period, connecting on all five of his attempts to help keep his team in the game against a hot-shooting Magic squad.
Ultimately, Orlando had the firepower to snap the Knicks’ streak at four games, but Thomas’ energy fuled an exciting second half rally that kept the contest up for grabs until the final minutes. Fisher inserted Jerian Grant into the rotation, and the rookie guard responded with six points in 14 minutes of play. Kristaps Porzingis shot just 3 of 12, but the big man finished with 9 points, 8 boards and 4 blocked shots.
