Sun Dec 14 04:50:00 UTC 2025: Orlando Magic Prepare for High-Stakes NBA Cup Semifinal Against Knicks

LAS VEGAS – The Orlando Magic are set to face the New York Knicks in a highly anticipated NBA Cup semifinal matchup in Las Vegas on Saturday. Coach Jamahl Mosley expressed confidence in his team’s preparation, emphasizing their focus amidst the heightened media attention.

“The energy’s great,” Mosley said. “Our guys are really locked into what it is for the game plan playing New York again. They feel good about it.”

The increased media presence in Las Vegas hasn’t been lost on the players. Forward Paolo Banchero acknowledged the significance of the stage, stating, “It’s a tremendous opportunity to play on this stage… as a team, we want to take advantage of the opportunity and just go out there and do our best to get the win.”

The Magic (15-10) are scheduled to play the Knicks (17-7) at 5:30 p.m. ET, with the game being streamed exclusively on Amazon’s Prime Network. A victory would keep the Magic in Las Vegas for the championship game on Tuesday. A loss would send them back to Orlando briefly before embarking on a four-game West Coast road trip, starting with a game against the Denver Nuggets.

Guard Desmond Bane addressed a recent incident from the last Magic-Knicks game, where he was fined $35,000 for throwing a ball at Knicks forward OG Anunoby. Bane, who is on a nearly $200 million contract extension, joked about buying a new boat should the team win the NBA Cup, with each player receiving $530,933. Banchero emphasized the importance of the prize money for the younger players on the team, adding, “Everyone on the team, we’ve got a lot of young guys, got a lot of guys that could really use the money, including myself. So when you are playing for something extra like that, you want to go after it.”

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