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SPORTS Thursday 28 February 2019
Knicks reserves key

108-103 win over Magic

NEW YORK (AP) — If the ing jumpers. He's guarding "Coach is doing what he
Knicks are supposed to be guards." does with the lineup based
tanking, someone forgot to The Knicks never led in the on how he feels during
tell their back-ups. game until Robinson's free the game and he had the
Emmanuel Mudiay, Mitch- throw with 2:57 remaining whole bench together and
ell Robinson and the rest of put New York in front 101- it worked tonight," Trier ex-
the New York Knicks who 100. plained.
came off the bench out- Henry Ellison followed with Nikola Vucevic and Aaron
scored the Orlando Mag- a 3-pointer and Mudiay hit Gordon each scored 26
ic's reserves by a whopping two free throws with 33 sec- points for the Magic, who
75-7 in a 108-103 win on onds left. Ellison, who is on held a 16-point lead in the
Tuesday night at Madison a 10-day contract and was second quarter. They were
Square Garden. only appearing in his sec- still up 90-78 entering the
Mudiay finished with 19 ond game with the Knicks, fourth.
points and Robinson add- played 36 minutes off the New York outscored Or-
ed 17 points, 14 rebounds, bench and finished with 13 lando 11-1 to open the fi-
six blocks, and three steals points, nine rebounds and nal quarter and eventually
to help the Knicks win their five assists. pulled even on Robinson's
second straight game at "Coach Fiz left me in there alley-oop dunk from Trier
home after they dropped for a while," Ellison said. "I with four minutes left.
18 in a row at MSG. looked back a couple of The Knicks have now won
Robinson joined Ralph times because I didn't ex- three of four after losing 18
Sampson (1984) and David pect it. He just gave me an straight games.
Robinson (1989) as the only opportunity to go out there "They play with nothing to
rookies to post those num- and play. It was a lot of fun. lose," Gordon said. "When
bers in a game since blocks I couldn't tell you the last they get confidence and
became an official stat in time I played 36 minutes." start making shots, they feel
1973-73. Terrence Ross' 3-pointer like they can play with any-
"He's making history right with 28 second remaining body so that's what they
now," said Knicks Coach brought the Magic within did."
David Fizdale. "Every single three. Allonzo Trier, another Jonathan Isaac scored 16 New York Knicks' Mitchell Robinson (26) dunks in front of Or-
day he continues to grow back-up, then hit two free points and Evan Fournier lando Magic's Jonathan Isaac (1) during the second half of an
and get better. His impact throws five seconds later added 15 for the Magic, NBA basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, in New York. The
Knicks won 108-103.
on the defensive end is for the final margin. He fin- who had won six of their Associated Press
special. The guy is block- ished with 18 points. previous seven games.q

JOKIC SCORES Malone said. "We had some things that
Continued from Page 17 Will Barton added 23 points we were able to control
Jokic said he's getting to and Jamal Murray 20 for that we didn't do a good
the point where he's look- Denver, which extended enough job of, and that
ing for the ball and antici- its division lead over the part of it was disappoint-
pating it will come his way Thunder to four games. ing," Thunder coach Billy
at crunch time, and it's a Paul George had 25 points Donovan said. "Because
role he is embracing. to lead Oklahoma City the guys, I thought, battled
"Even if I don't score, I think I which fought back from and worked so hard to get
can bring something. I can an 18-point deficit in the back in the game to give
make a good pass," Jokic second half but could not ourselves a chance."
said. "I think the coaches sustain its rally in the late Trailing by 13 at the half,
are comfortable to call going. the Thunder scored the
plays for me and I think the Russell Westbrook finish an first eight points of the
team trusts me." assist shy of a triple-double third quarter, including
Jokic added 10 assists and with 22 points, 14 rebounds 3-pointers by Westbrook
nine rebounds to finish just and nine assists. Jerami and George to equal the
shy of his 13th triple-double Grant added 21 points. number of 3s Oklahoma
this season for the Nug- Oklahoma City got back City had in the first half. But
gets who won their fifth into the game by turning Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook yells to ref- the Nuggets' got going on
erees for an explanation after he was called for a foul during
straight and ninth in a row up its defense, forcing five the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the offense again and pulled
at home. They improved turnovers in six Denver pos- Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, in Denver. in front by as many as 18
to 3-0 against the Thunder sessions in one stretch, to Associated Press points before George hit
this season, clinching the pull into a 97-all tie on a a 3-pointer from the half-
four-game season series 3-pointer by Dennis Schro- a 3-pointer by Murray. helped Denver solidify court line as the Thunder
between the Northwest Di- der with 6:02 left to play. The game remained tight its lead and quash Okla- pulled to 91-78 going into
vision rivals. Westbrook followed by hit- down the stretch. Mur- homa City's comeback in the fourth quarter. Jokic
"To have beaten them ting a 3-pointer to give the ray hit another 3-pointer the final moments by mak- connected on successive
three times this year says a Thunder its first lead since and Jokic put in a layup ing five of six free throws 3-pointers in the last 56 sec-
lot about our team. I don't early in the first half. around a Westbrook layup to boost the Nuggets' ad- onds of the second quar-
even think we've played Denver, though, fought for a 112-106 Denver lead vantage to 117-108 with 44 ter, and Denver moved in
our best basketball yet," back, retaking the lead on with 1:36 remaining. Jokic seconds remaining. front 64-51 at the half.q