The Orlando Magic and New York Knicks meet again on Saturday, this time in Las Vegas with an NBA Cup Finals spot on the line. The Magic come in at 15-10, fourth in the East, finally boasting a top-10 offense behind Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, and Jalen Suggs.
Across from them, the Knicks are 17-7, second in the conference, riding an elite 122.7 offensive rating and a four-game winning streak after taking down the Raptors in the Cup quarterfinals.
This is already the fourth meeting between these teams in 2025-26. The Magic lead the season series 2-1, taking the first two matchups before the Knicks answered with a 106-100 win at Madison Square Garden last week.
Injury Report
Knicks
- Pacome Dadiet: Questionable (left ankle sprain)
- Miles McBride: Out (left ankle sprain)
- Landry Shamet: Out (right shoulder sprain)
McBride being out removes a key guard from the second unit; he had been giving them real on-ball defense and extra shooting before the ankle issue. Shamet’s shoulder problem keeps one more shooter off the floor, which matters when the Knicks want to lean into five-out lineups around Karl-Anthony Towns.
Magic
- Colin Castleton: Out (left thumb fracture)
- Franz Wagner: Out (left high ankle sprain)
- Moritz Wagner: Out (left knee, injury recovery)
Franz being sidelined is the big one. He is still the Magic’s leading scorer at 22.7 points per game on 47.1% from the field, and his size on the wing is a huge part of their offense and defense.
Without him and Moritz Wagner, the Magic frontcourt depth is thinner, but Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr., and Goga Bitadze can soak up most of those minutes.
Why The Magic Have The Advantage
Even without Franz, the Magic have quietly turned into one of the more balanced teams in the league. They own a 116.5 offensive rating and 112.1 defensive rating, good for a +4.4 net rating and a 15-10 record in a deep East.
Banchero has looked more polished in year three, averaging around 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on 44.8% from the field. When he plays with better spacing from Bane and Suggs, the Magic’s half-court offense looks real, not just “young team with potential.”
Bane changed this team’s identity. He is putting up 19.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, hitting 44.8% from the field and giving them a legit movement shooter who can also make plays off the bounce. He just dropped 37 against Miami to send the Magic to this semifinal, bombing six threes and closing the game in the fourth.
Suggs (14.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists on 46.0% from the field) fills in all the gaps as a two-way guard, pressuring the ball, attacking the rim, and acting as a secondary creator when defenses key in on Banchero or Bane.
Another subtle edge: the matchup. The Magic lead the season series 2-1 as mentioned earlier and have already beaten this Knicks core both at Madison Square Garden and at home. In those wins, the Magic used their size and physicality to bother Jalen Brunson, forced turnovers, and turned defense into quick offense.
Their length on the perimeter, plus a deeper rotation of defenders like Jonathan Isaac and Jalen Suggs, lets them throw multiple bodies at Brunson and Mikal Bridges.
If the game slows down, the Magic can still lean on Banchero’s bully-ball drives and Bane’s pick-and-roll game. If it turns into a track meet, their young legs and aggressive defense usually hold up.
Why The Knicks Have The Advantage
The Knicks are the more proven, veteran group right now. Second in the East and owning one of the league’s best offenses, this group scores in bunches and shares the ball well.
Everything starts with Jalen Brunson. He is averaging 28.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists on 48.0% from the field, playing like a fringe MVP candidate and one of the ten best offensive engines in basketball. He just cooked the Raptors for 35 in the Cup quarterfinal, dropping 20 in the first quarter alone. When he gets into his bag in the midrange, there is not much anyone can do.
Around him, the Knicks are big, physical, and more skilled than past versions of this team. Towns brings 22.1 points and 12.0 rebounds per night on 46.4% shooting, stretching the floor as a true five who can punish smaller bodies inside and drag bigs out to the perimeter.
Bridges has become a perfect all-around wing for this system, averaging 16.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on an absurd 52.5% from the field. OG Anunoby adds 15.7 points and 5.3 rebounds while defending every position and knocking down shots at 47.8% from the field.
That combination of an elite on-ball creator plus three high-level two-way forwards is brutal to deal with. Even with McBride and Shamet out, the Knicks can still stay big on the wings and dominate the glass with Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart. They also just proved they can solve the Magic defense, outscoring them 106-100 while Franz Wagner went down early and their offense stalled in the second half.
Most importantly, the Knicks have been clutch in big games all year. They are 13-1 at home and have handled pressure moments in the Cup already. Neutral-court pressure in Vegas might suit a veteran-heavy roster that has already played a lot of high-leverage basketball.
Magic vs. Knicks Prediction
This is a classic “elite offense vs balanced team” matchup. The Magic have the depth, the defensive versatility, and the confidence of a group that has already beaten the Knicks twice and just knocked out the Heat. The Knicks counter with the best individual player in the game in Brunson, a legitimate second star in Towns, and a machine-like offense that punishes every small mistake.
Franz Wagner’s absence is the swing factor for me. The Magic can survive without him in a normal regular-season game, but against a locked-in Knicks core with multiple scoring options, missing a 22.7-point-per-game wing who can attack mismatches and defend big forwards is brutal.
Expect the Magic to compete and hang around with their defense and energy, especially if Bane stays hot and Banchero gets to the line. But over 48 minutes, the Knicks’ firepower and late-game execution should tilt this. Brunson has been too steady all year, and Towns’ size advantage inside becomes more obvious without the Wagner brothers in the frontcourt.
Prediction: Knicks 115, Magic 103
