(AFP) Orlando Magic and the New York Knicks will meet Saturday in the semifinals of the NBA Cup after winning their respective quarterfinal games Tuesday.
The Magic defeated the Miami Heat 117-108, while the Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors 117 to 101.
The other two quarterfinal games will be played Wednesday, with the Oklahoma City Thunder facing the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers taking on the San Antonio Spurs.
The NBA Cup semifinals will be held Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the final set for Tuesday, Dec. 16, also in Las Vegas.
Led by Brunson, Knicks win on the road
In Tuesday’s second game, the Knicks dominated a Raptors team that failed to capitalize on home court and trailed by as many as 24 points in the game played at Scotiabank Arena, in Toronto.
Jalen Brunson poured in 35 points and was the leading scorer, while Dominican Karl Anthony-Towns recorded a double-double of 14 points and 17 rebounds for the Big Apple quintet.
“We knew it would be a tough game,” New York forward Josh Hart mentioned. “They were aggressive in the first quarter and then we got a lot better on defense to secure the game.” “We have to take it step by step, win every game, every possession, we must not get ahead of ourselves and secure what we have in front of us,” Hart explained.
In this way, the Knicks achieved their tenth consecutive win over the Raptors and qualified for the NBA Cup semifinals for the first time.
Orlando wins the Florida showdown
With an outstanding performance by forward Desmond Bane, who scored 37 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists, Orlando Magic won 117 to 108 over its neighbor from the Florida, the Miami Heat.
“It’s winning time and that’s all that matters to me,” Bane said after the victory. “We need to play in these types of games, we want to accomplish big things and we need these types of tests,” he added.
Bane, 27 and in his first season with the Magic, sparked engines after a first quarter in which he scored just two points.
Meanwhile, Italian-American Paolo Banchero, who returned last Friday after missing 10 games with a groin strain, poured in 18 points for the Magic, who inflicted Miami its fourth straight loss.
Bad turnovers by Orlando down the stretch allowed Miami, which struggled on offense, to get back into the game. With 33 seconds to play and down by seven points, Tyler Herro missed a three-pointer to seal the Magic’s victory at the Kia Center in Orlando.
Herro, 25, needed to hit a triple to reach 1,000 in his NBA career, but ended up missing all six of his attempts on a lackluster night.
Brazilian Tristan Da Silva scored 11 points for Orlando, while Mexican-American Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 10 for Miami.