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NEW YORK — The New York Knicks enter the new year under .500 for the fourth straight season and 12 out of the past 15 seasons, excluding the lockout-shortened 2011-12 campaign.
New York (16-17) will try to get back on track after dropping three straight in a southern road swing when it hosts the Orlando Magic (15-20) Monday at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks defeated the Magic at the Garden, 106-95, on Dec. 22.
The Knicks surrendered at least 100 points in their recent three-game road slide, losing to the Atlanta Hawks (102-98), the New Orleans Pelicans (104-92) and the Houston Rockets (129-122). New York has the sixth-worst defensive rating in the league.
“We have three guys (Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick Rose) on this team that can score with the best of them. If we can just somehow find a way to build defensively, I think we can really make some noise.”
The Knicks could be without two of them on Monday. Porzingis sat out the loss to the Rockets with an Achilles injury. His condition is day-to-day.
“I don’t even know how it happened,” Porzingis told the New York Post. “It’s a situation that finally got a little sore from playing I guess. I’m not too worried. Just a little soreness. Keep doing treatments, ice all that stuff. It will go away pretty soon.”
Anthony, who is averaging 21.9 points a game, left the Rockets game with a left knee injury. His status against the Magic is uncertain.
The Knicks could also be without starting guard Courtney Lee, who has missed the last three games with a wrist injury.
If the Knicks want to make a run for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, this is the month to start. New York’s first seven opponents in January have a record of at or below .500 and are a combined 31 games under .500.
The Magic dropped a 117-104 decision to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Nikola Vucevic led Orlando with 18 points off the bench. Jeff Green and Serge Ibaka each added 17 points.
Ibaka has led the Magic in scoring eight times in the first 35 games of the season. During seven seasons with Oklahoma City, Ibaka led or tied for the team lead in scoring just 10 times.
They could be missing their leading scorer, guard Evan Fournier, who is averaging 17.8 points. Fournier missed his fourth consecutive game on Sunday with a right heel contusion.
Orlando is also struggling defensively. It ranks 17th in the league in defensive rating.
The Pacers shot 50 percent (43 of 86).
“We didn’t play a truly tough-minded defensive game,” said Orlando coach Frank Vogel, whose team shot 43.3 percent.
“It started on the basketball on the perimeter. We weren’t very good. On the press, we weren’t containing the basketball.”
Vogel said his team has had trouble matching up defensively the past few weeks.
“Until that turns around and we change our fortunes there, we’re not going to be very good.”
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