Orlando Beats Boston for East Wildcard, Meets Milwaukee in KO Round Quarters
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 04 Dec 2024
Despite losing its last game to New York Knicks for Group A honors, the Orlando Magic still advanced to the KO quarterfinal round of the Emirates NBA Cup by virtue of superior points differential over Group C runner up Boston Celtics.
Starting the day with a plus 60 points differential, the Magic lost to the Knicks by fifteen, 121-106 to emerge with a final points differential of plus 45 which is better than Boston's plus 23.
The Magic had to lose by 37 points or more for Boston to advance and that was a possibility when the Knicks led by 37 in the third quarter. However, Orlando rallied in the last quarter to cut the margin to what it was in the final buzzer.
Taking advantage of the absence of Magic All-Stars Paolo Banchero, the Knicks immediately raced to huge leads and threatened to break the game wide open up to the third quarter through the hot shooting of Karl Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby.
However, as in the recent games, the versatile Wagner brothers, Franz and Moritz and Jalen Sugg helped carry the cause of the Magic though the Knicks lead proved too huge to overcome given the remaining time.
The Magic will play Group B winner Milwaukee Bucks in their KO round in Milwaukee.
In the meeting of unbeatens, Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Detroit Pistons, 128-107 with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combining for 55 points.
Meanwhile, the Knicks, the Group A winner will host Group C winner Atlanta Hawks in their own KO quarterfinal round. The Hawks edged Boston in the Cup group play opener.
The winners of the KO round will meet to determine the Eastern Conference top team to play the Western Conference top team to crown the Emirates NBA Cup champion in the Finals set in Las Vegas on December 17.
The group stage and the KO round games count in the regular season standing in the East led by the Cleveland Cavaliers (19-3).
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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