Tonight’s matchup between the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic took a sharp turn early when Knicks guard Landry Shamet injured his shoulder, running into a hard screen set by Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. On the play, his shoulder appeared to pop out of its socket, and he was quickly escorted to the locker room, clutching his arm.

After the game, Knicks head coach Mike Brown issued a worrying update. One source quoted him as saying, “I don’t know much about it…I think it’s his right shoulder…Full evaluation next couple days.” The update is cautious and highlights the seriousness of the injury while leaving fans in the dark about specifics.

Replays showed Shamet visibly stressed, and this is especially alarming considering his injury history. Just over a year ago, Shamet dislocated that right shoulder, ruling him out until December last season, but crucially, he opted for rehab instead of surgery.

Without surgery, dislocated shoulders are susceptible to re-injury, and now, Shamet’s status is uncertain.

This season, Shamet has emerged as a key member of Mike Brown’s bench lineups, averaging 9.9 points on an elite 42.4% from three.

He’s also stepped into the starting lineup as the Knicks dealt with injuries to Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby, and logged a career-high 36 points off the bench earlier this season.

His loss makes things even harder for a Knicks squad already undermanned, and Brown will have to make changes to his rotation to keep the team afloat.

In the postgame conference, Brown also emphasized the importance of the Knicks’ next-man-up mentality. “In our case, it’s next man up, next man up, next man up, I think, something like that. So we have to have guys ready to play, especially some guys that have played minutes,” he said.

Brown also remained confident in the team’s defense despite the setback to Shamet. “No matter who we throw out there, we’ve got to have a feel and understanding of what we’re trying to do on that end of the floor to get things done.”

The coach also stressed the team’s resilience during this stretch, adding, “We’ve seen us climb up in that area, and we’re going to keep pushing them to be great in that area, and they’re going to keep responding to being great in that area.”

Orlando Magic Surge Past New York Knicks Behind Wagner, Suggs, and Bane

Franz Wagner led the way tonight for the Orlando Magic, logging a season-high 37 points with seven assists, headlining a fourth-quarter surge.

Orlando scored 13 unanswered points in under two minutes as part of a 20-6 run. Anthony Black played a key role for the team, hitting a 3-pointer to start the run, then assisting Tristan da Silva on a dunk.

Supporting Wagner, Jalen Suggs had a season-high 26 points, and Desmond Bane added 27 points. Wendell Carter Jr. also chipped in with a perfect shooting night from the floor, helping Orlando maintain momentum against the roster.

The Knicks leaned heavily on Jalen Brunson’s production, and he tried his best: 30 points with 11 assists.

Karl-Anthony Towns also added 24 points, but New York struggled with 17 turnovers, and Orlando capitalized on those mistakes for 18 easy points.

The Magic dominated the Knicks in the paint 64-46, and eventually secured the 133-121 win to finish an undefeated homestand.