Statement Game

The Knicks made mincemeat of a feisty Orlando team at MSG, booking their ticket to the NBA Cup in the process.

Good Morning! NBA Cup, HERE WE COME, BAY-BAY!

Game 21: Knicks 121, Magic 106

• New York put forth their most complete performance of the season, going up by as many as 37 points against a team that had won 12 of 13 games coming in.

• The Knicks methodically got whatever shot they wanted against the third best defense in the league by moving the ball and moving themselves.

• Everyone chipped in, with five players scoring between 18 and 23 points and a sixth - Josh Hart - netting a triple double.

• New York may have been even more impressive on defense, forcing the poor shooting Magic to take a lot of ATB threes and limiting their ability to generate second chance opportunities.

Now that is a serious basketball team.

Ever since opening night, we’ve been waiting.

We saw the potential of this offense right off the bat, when they shot a nice percentage against the defending champs but it didn’t matter because the Celtics made 8,000 threes before garbage time even began.

That night, it turns out, set the tone for the first 20 games. Points have often come in boatloads, but not quite so steadily against the league’s top defenses, of which Orlando certainly qualified as one.

More importantly, all the points in the world couldn’t calm the growing fears that this team had sold its soul for a sleek ride without first looking under the hood.

Those fears were still very much alive coming into last night’s matchup. Facing off against the team that best embodied what the Knicks used to be all about - toughness, grit, and perseverance - we knew their work would be cut out for them. Much like the Knicks used to do, Orlando hides their shortcomings and capitalizes on their strengths as well as anyone. They’ve been the darlings of the NBA for the past month, and deservedly so.

So how fitting it was that the Magic were the opponent waiting for New York as they crossed the 20-game threshold, which is the “no more bullshit” dividing line we’ve been circling for a while now.

21 games may be a bit early for a reckoning, but one way or another, New York would stand and be judged when 48 minutes were up.

With that as the backdrop, these Knicks finally showed up, stood up, and let us know what they’re made of.