Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau took blame for another loss to the Magic, and Julius Randle said things are getting “weird.’’
Before the game Thibodeau called the Magic “dangerous,” but they only seem dangerous against the ailing Knicks in Manhattan.
As the Knicks got sloppy down the stretch, they couldn’t hold off a rebuilding club, losing in a 104-98 disgrace at the Garden. It’s their second loss to the Magic (4-11) at home in three weeks, and the players are having a tough time explaining this recent mess after 15 games.
The Knicks, after a 5-1 start, fell to 8-7 — 3-5 at the Garden.
“It’s just weird out here right now,’’ Randle said. “That’s the best way to describe it — a little choppy. It’s a little weird. The chemistry’s not there yet. Like the flow of the game. It doesn’t feel like the flow and the chemistry [are] there yet.”
The Knicks starters were again mediocre, and despite Obi Toppin’s excellent, career-high-tying night of 14 points, including two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, two sloppy turnovers cost them in the end.
“Unfortunately we beat ourselves tonight,’’ Thibodeau said. “Our turnovers hurt us. We’re capable of playing a lot better than we did.
“I have to do a better job of getting them ready. That’s on me. I don’t think we played as well as we’re capable of playing. That falls on me.’’
Immanuel Quickley, hero against the Pacers on Monday, threw away a pass that was intercepted by Terrence Ross for a breakaway dunk. And trusty point guard Derrick Rose had his pass to RJ Barrett picked off by Jalen Suggs leading to a late alley-oop dunk for Wendell Carter with under a minute to play.
Another wound came when Orlando’s Franz Wagner beat Quickley and drove down the lane for a monster slam on Barrett, whose shooting woes continued (0-for-7 from 3).
“We played hard but they just played harder at the end,’’ Barrett said. “The last couple of minutes you have to be the harder-playing team.’’
Toppin — 6 of 9 from the field — was the Knicks’ star. He came out with 2:00 left for Rose, and the Knicks continued to fall apart. The Knicks shot just 16 of 49 from 3. Julius Randle scored 13 points and was 4 of 10 from 3.
Randle is usually tight-lipped and whispers his answers after defeats, but he was in a candid mood following this latest flop.
Asked to explain the choppiness, Randle said, “Sometimes it’ll be intended, trying to let the other person do their thing, play off him,’’ Randle said. “Sometimes we see things happening in the game and you get over-aggressive. Everybody’s heart and intentions [are] in the right place, you get over-aggressive trying to make things happen. But … that’s just offensively. Defensively, I don’t understand that. That’s my thing.’’
They didn’t do much down the stretch. Cole Anthony of Manhattan hit a dagger running banker to give the Magic a four-point lead with 1:04 left and finished with 15 points.
The Knicks scored just nine points in the first 10 minutes of the third quarter and trailed 72-67 entering the fourth. During one juncture, the Knicks missed eight straight shots with a turnover as Orlando built a 10-point lead.
Anthony sank a 36-foot 3-pointer with a second left in the first half to push the Magic into a 50-49 lead at the break.
The Knicks couldn’t shake a pesky club that beat them at the Garden on Oct. 24 because they were errant from 3-point land (6 of 22) in the first half and committed 18 turnovers.
“That’s not Knicks basketball,’’ Randle said.
“We’re normally a low-turnover team,’’ Barrett said. “Today we also stepped out of bounds a lot. Those hurt you. We tried to go for home-run plays. We’re normally a lower-turnover team, so I don’t think that will be too much of a big problem.’’
