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- The NBA’s last remaining unbeaten team, the Knicks have not played since Friday. “It gave us an opportunity to practice, and guys who were a little nicked up had an opportunity to get some treatment,” said coach Mike Woodson. “So I thought it was great for us.”
- The Knicks, who can start 5-0 for only the third time in franchise history, will start the same lineup for a fifth straight game.
- Magic point guard Jameer Nelson will miss a sixth game with a strained right hamstring and groin. With a two-day break after tonight, coach Jacque Vaughn is holding out Nelson and DeQuan Jones (sore left groin) for another game for cautionary reasons. “When we bring (Nelson) back, he’ll be starting,” Vaughn said. “I know he wants to play, but it’s my job to make sure he’s ready for the rest of the year, hopefully. It’s just a judgment call.”
- The Knicks have four players (Kurt Thomas, 40; Jason Kidd, 39; Marcus Camby, 38; and Rasheed Wallace, 38) who are older than the 37-year-old Vaughn.
- The Knicks have given up the fewest points in the league (87.5 per game) and the Magic have scored the fewest (87.8). The Knicks also have held opponents to a league-low .407 field goal percentage.
- New York leads the league in steals (10.75 per game) while giving up the fewest steals (4.75 per game).
- KNICKS lineup: Ronnie Brewer, Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd.
- MAGIC lineup: Arron Afflalo, Glen Davis, Nikola Vucevic, J.J. Redick, E’Twaun Moore.
– Dick Scanlon
KNICKS GONNA TEAR EM UP LETS GO
I am going to go out on a limb and say New York is going to beat Orlando. Chandler and Felton and Anthony are going to take it to them. hard. I will say 5 – 0 is on the way….