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Derrick Rose helps Knicks beat Magic 106-95

Associated PressDec 23, 2016, 2:45 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) Derrick Rose scored 19 points, Kyle O'Quinn had 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, and the New York Knicks beat the Orlando Magic 106-95 on Thursday night.

Carmelo Anthony and Willy Hernangomez each had 15 points for New York, which has won two in a row since a three-game losing streak. Kristaps Porzingis scored 12 points and reserve Brandon Jennings had 12 assists in 22 minutes.

Orlando led only once, 12-11 on D.J. Augustin‘s short jumper with 6:13 left in the first quarter. The Knicks responded with a 16-5 run for a 27-17 lead.

Serge Ibaka led the Magic with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Evan Fournier scored 21 points.

Ibaka connected on a hook shot and Fournier made a layup to get Orlando within seven with 1:16 left in the third.

The Magic trailed 82-74 lead early in the fourth when the Knicks started to pull away. Hernangomez made three jumpers and a layup to help New York to a 90-76 lead with 9:13 to go.

Justin Holiday‘s 3-pointer with 5:52 remaining extended New York’s lead to 98-80.

Orlando closed to 104-95 on Jeff Green‘s free throws with 1:29 left, but Rose scored with 1:08 remaining to help the Knicks close it out.

Green, Nikola Vucevic and Elfrid Payton each scored 10 points for the Magic.

TIP-INS

Magic: Ibaka was 10 for 18 from the field, including a 3-for-7 performance from 3-point range. … Orlando dropped to 8-8 on the road this season compared to only 5-10 at home. … The Magic lead the all-time series against the Knicks 52-51.

Knicks: Courtney Lee scored 10 points. … The Knicks are 14-1 when leading after three quarters this season.

JUST GETTING STARTED

It was the first of four meetings between the teams this season. They face each other again on Jan. 2 back at Madison Square Garden.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

The Knicks improved to 11-4 at home. They are 10-2 in their last 12 games at Madison Square Garden.

UP NEXT

Magic: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. The teams will meet again on Jan. 8 in Los Angeles.

Knicks: Face Boston on Christmas Day in the finale of New York’s three-game homestand. The teams played in Boston on Nov. 11, with the Celtics posting a 115-87 win.

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Report: LeBron James ‘hustling’, suggested Josh Jackson for Kyrie Irving

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By Dane CarbaughJul 27, 2017, 9:15 PM EDT

Is LeBron James staying with the Cleveland Cavaliers? Who knows?

But The King is reportedly working to try to find trade deals for disgruntled point guard Kyrie Irving.

According to ESPN’s Pablo Torre, James has begun hustling for the Cavaliers this offseason, suggesting a trade of Irving for Phoenix Suns rookie Josh Jackson.

Here is what Torre had to say, via Fear the Sword:

“LeBron James is doing some LeBron James offseason work. And my understanding is it’s not just Derrick Rose, it’s not just Eric Bledsoe. LeBron James happens to know a guy named James Jones . . . LeBron James is hustling behind the scenes, is my understanding, asking ‘Is Josh Jackson available for Kyrie Irving?’ And the answer back that I heard is ‘no, he is not.’ But LeBron James is hustling on behalf of the Cleveland Cavaliers, at least for this one year.”

Then again, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has sources that are saying LeBron has not been active:

LeBron James has been communicative with Cavs but is not inquiring about any players in possible Kyrie Irving trades, sources say

— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 27, 2017

Irving has a preferred landing destination in New York, but there is apparently not mutual interest between the Cavaliers and Knicks. While before it was rumored that Carmelo Anthony would like to in Cleveland with LeBron, but that trade has yet to happen despite the obvious answer to the question of what to do with each player.

Rumor has it that Anthony only wants to play in Houston, and sort of puts the brakes on getting Irving to New York.

Cleveland seems to have lost a bit of leverage with Irving’s open trade request, so it will be interesting to see what the return for Cleveland is once a trade is finally made and we can compare it to the deals for Chris Paul and Paul George.

Irving reportedly isn’t talking to the Cavaliers at the moment so one would have to assume a deal will be coming within the next few weeks.

Report: Warriors re-signing JaVale McGee to one-year contract

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By Dan FeldmanJul 27, 2017, 7:55 PM EDT

The Warriors helped rehabilitate JaVale McGee‘s career to the point he wanted more – more money, a starting spot.

But old reputations die hard, and it’s a tough market for free-agent centers.

So, McGee is returning to Golden State.

ESPN:

The Golden State Warriors are re-signing center JaVale McGee to a one-year contract, source told ESPN’s Chris Haynes.

McGee could receive between the minimum ($2,116,955) and Non-Bird Exception ($2,540,346). He’ll cost Golden State between $5,968,023 and $10,511,120.* Here’s guessing he gets the minimum.

*Factoring in the NBA’s reimbursement for one-year minimum contracts and the luxury tax, also assuming the Warriors keep the same roster when the tax is assessed at the end of the regular season

Golden State played to McGee’s strengths by simplifying the game for him. He chased lobs, blocks and rebounds and was asked to do little else. He still made the occasional gaffe, and questions about his basketball intelligence remain, but McGee progressed in his never-ending battle to stifle the laughter.

Not every team could protect McGee like that, so he’s more valuable to the Warriors than others. He’ll take another crack at free agency next summer, but at 30, he might not find eager suitors then, either.

In Golden State, he’ll again join a center rotation that includes Zaza Pachulia and David West and maybe Damian Jones and Jordan Bell. With stars at every other position, the Warriors have taken an equalitarian approach at center.

McGee gives the Warriors 15 players clearly on standard contracts, the regular-season limit. Chris Boucher is on a two-way contract, and Antonius Cleveland might be, too. Even if he’s on a standard contract, Cleveland is unlikely to stick past the preseason. It seems we know the roster Golden State will take into the regular season.

Then again, McGee surprisingly made the regular-season roster on an unguaranteed deal last year. Maybe he’ll have to fend off challengers this year.