Knicks Advance to In-Season Tourney Finals with SOLID Win. NY 132 Orlando 120

December 14, 2025 LouV 2025-26 0
Jalen Brunson scored 40 pts to lead the Knicks to a SOLID win over Orlando. Photo courtesy NY Knicks.

Jalen Brunson got big buckets all night for 40 pts on 16-27 shooting (2-5 from 3) with 8 assists in leading the Knicks to a Solid 132-120 win over Orlando in the In-Season Tourney Eastern Conference Finals game on a Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas. NY advances to the Finals, where they will face San Antonio, which upset Oklahoma later in the evening.

Brunson got a lot of help in a total team effort:

  • Karl-Anthony Towns had 29 pts on 9-11 shooting (2-4 from 3) with 8 rebounds;
  • OG Anunoby had 24 pts on 8-13 shooting (3-4 from 3) with 3 steals and a block;
  • Mikal Bridges added 16 slick points; Josh Hart had 12 pts, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists;
  • Mitchell Robinson had 9 rebounds in 17 minutes; and
  • Tyler Kolek was exceptional again off the bench with a team-high +18 in 16 minutes. Kolek intercepted passes and spun blinding passes all night, and led a Knick surge at start of the 2nd quarter that got them an initial 10-pt lead.

But when the Knick lead evaporated in the 3rd quarter, and Orlando came back to take a 6-pt lead — it was Brunson being Brunson again — scoring on all kinds of hesitation moves to lead NY back into an almost 10-pt lead before the 3rd quarter ended. NY controlled the 4th — with Brunson and Kolek playing together to start it.

Jalen Suggs starred for the Magic, scoring 26 pts on 10-16 shooting, while Paolo Banchero had 25, Desmond Bane had 18, Wendell Cart Jr. had 14, and Anthony Black had 12. Orlando was without Franz Wagner and Mo Wagner; NY was without Miles McBride.

“He makes the game easier for everybody,” said Knick coach Mike Brown afterwards. “That’s what MVP’s are supposed to do, and he definitely did that tonite. He scored for us when we didn’t have too much going with our offensive movement and stuff like that. Again give Orlando credit, to play good defense. But you got a guy like that who can go get it, keeps you in the game, helps you get leads, and at the end of the day he carries you home.”

NY improves to 18-7 and are 2 games back of Detroit. NY will represent the East in the In Tourney Final game against San Antonio. Orlando falls to 15-11.

1. Both Teams Come Out Firing — Orlando Takes Slight Lead

The game was one of only 2 in the NBA being played on the day, and hyped up as the In-Season Tourney Eastern Finals. Both teams came out firing and hitting in a high-scoring affair.

Brunson was getting buckets, KAT was getting buckets inside and out, and OG Anunoby was hitting 3’s for NY, while Jalen Suggs was scoring on drives and Desmond Bane was scoring inside and out as well for Orlando.

A Paolo Banchero bucket near the end of the 1st quarter gave the Magic a 36-30 lead, but an OG 3 with 4 seconds left brought NY within 3 at 36-33 as the period ended.

2. Kolek Leads Knick Charge to Start 2nd Quarter

Tyler Kolek looked SHARP again for the 6th game in a row now — his quick decision making and whirlwind passing leading the Knicks to start the 2nd quarter.

OG Anunoby hit a 14-foot step-back off a Kolek assist, and then a play of the game — Kolek hit Josh Hart hit Josh Hart for ahead-of-the-field drive, then stole the inbounds and fed Mikal Bridges underneath for a 39-36 Knick lead.

A Josh Hart drive made it 8 straight Knick points and a 41-36 NY lead. Hart attacked the basket all night and scored on his patented amazingly-efficiency-tough-drives-in-traffic.

3. Brunson Takes Over Midway thru 2nd Quarter

And then Jalen Brunson took over; hesitation moves and drives and floaters — getting anything he wanted against tough defenders Jalen Suggs (6’5) or the 6’7 Anthony Black.

“Tweeted this in 2018 below on Jalen Brunson,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Jalen puts his defender at his mercy whether breaking them off the bounce and finishing in lane, using fundamentals in shot fakes, jump stops, use of pivot foot, hitting his jumper, creating contact or using that footwork with back to basket.”

Jalen Suggs pushed back with a 3 and quick drives to the bucket. The game became a mano-a-mano game-within-the-game of Brunson vs Suggs.

An OG Anunoby offensive rebound and tip-in gave NY a 71-64 lead at the half.

4. Orlando Run in 3rd Gets them 4-Pt Lead

NY was up by 10 with 9 minutes left in the 3rd when Orlando went on a 12-2 run, fueled by Paolo Banchero drives, a Desmond Bane 3 and deuce, and an Anthony Black 3.

KAT answered back for NY with a dunk and a drive but Orlando ran off 6 more straight points — drives by Banchero and Bane, and a bucket by Jett Howard — to take an 89-85 lead with 4:22 left.

5. Brunson, OG, Mitch, & Bridges Regain 8-Pt Lead After 3

That’s when OG Anunoby hit a huge corner 3 to bring NY back within a point, and Mitchell Robinson scored on an alley off slam off a Brunson pass for a Knick lead.

Brunson Takes Over

Brunson took over — hitting a floater with a hesitation drive and fancy footwork.

Brunson then broke Anthony Black’s ankles with a hesitation drive.

Brunson kept coming — feeding Mikal Bridges for a bucket, and hitting a 3 for a 99-92 Knick lead.

Mitch Dominates Boards & DEFENDS

Mitchell Robinson kept grabbing offensive rebounds for Knick 2nd chances, and hit 1 of 2 free throws off an offensive rebound to give NY a 100-92 lead — then blocked an Anthony Black drive at the buzzer to keep it that way heading into the 4th.

6. Knicks Control 4th for Solid Win

Tyler Kolek was on the court to start the 4th, and then Brunson came back in and the two point guards played together — as they have numerous times recently in the 4th.

The Knicks maintained a 10-pt lead — everytime they tried to make it more, Orlando would snake it back under 10 — to as low as 6 pts on a Jase Richardson 3 with 4;23 left.

Josh Hart made Another tough drive, but Banchero answered with a drive and NY’s lead was still only 6 with 3:42 left.

KAT hit a tough drive-and-1 to put NY up 9, and then Brunson hit a 21-foot step-back jumper to give NY a 121-110 lead with 2:47 left.

Jase Richardson hit another 3 to pull Orlando within 7 with 1:36 left, but Josh Hart answered with Another tough drive for a 9-pt Knick lead with 1:20 left.

A slick Mikal Bridges floater gave NY a 10-pt lead with a minute left, and two OG free throws made it 129-117 NY with 1:02 left and ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401809837

 

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