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Knicks finally win at home in February, pummel Magic 108-95

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Carmelo Anthony dunks in the second quarter.Julie Jacobson/AP

Carmelo Anthony dunks in the second quarter.

It’s probably too little and too late, but hey, the Knicks don’t have a draft pick so it’s good to win ballgames.

New York won at home for the first time in February, pummeling the Magic, 108-95, behind a balanced effort from the starting lineup. It was just the third win for the Knicks (25-35) in its last 16 games, but it was impressive: they led by double-digits the entire second half, attacking the basket and picking up 30 points at the foul line.

Carmelo Anthony hit just seven of his 22 field goals for 19 points, but he also secured 11 rebounds and a team-high six assists. Each of New York’s starting five scored at least 14 points. Kristaps Porzinigis finished with 18 points and six boards.

Orlando was lethargic in the second game of a back-to-back and the Knicks pounced, taking a 12-point lead in the first quarter and leading by as many as 20 in the second.

The Magic (25-32) also face long odds of making the playoffs, and coach Scott Skiles sent a message pre-game about the importance of Friday.

Kristaps Porzingis adds 18 points and six rebounds.Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

Kristaps Porzingis adds 18 points and six rebounds.

“This is a must-win game for us,” Skiles said.

Orlando responded with a dud. In two games over two days, the Magic has allowed 238 points.

Still, with the Knicks sitting in 12th in the Eastern Conference, interim coach Kurt Rambis has transitioned from his playoffs-or-bust mantra. Since Rambis joined the club before last season, the Knicks have lost 100 of their 142 games. And in just a few weeks since he took over for Derek Fisher, he went from “playoffs are the only goal” to a much broader version of that statement.

“I understand with each loss it gets more and more mathematically more difficult to make the playoffs. I understand that,” he said. “But in making that statement (of playoffs as the lone goal), to me it’s more about a mindset. As a player you have to have a mindset that, ‘We’re going to win.’ You want to think of that as an individual. You want to think of this team as winners. You don’t want to think the contrary.”

Carmelo Anthony scores 19 points and snags 11 rebounds.Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

Carmelo Anthony scores 19 points and snags 11 rebounds.

Not that it’s any consolation to a 31-year-old Anthony, but the Knicks have at least one major piece to develop in the final two months of the season – regardless of whether the games are meaningless to the standings.

Porzingis is no longer the Rookie of the Year frontrunner – that title belongs to Karl-Anthony Towns – but he’s still projected as a star in this league. Although Porzingis’ rebounding numbers have plummeted since mid-January, Rambis said the next important step for the Latvian is learning how to score inside.

“Everybody’s going to try to get into his legs and push him around so he has to figure out how to get the space that he needs in order to operate,” said Rambis, who worked with Shaquille O’Neal and Pau Gasol as an assistant with the Lakers. “I’ve always felt that it’s felt it’s more difficult to learn how to play inside, whether it’s in transition, posting up, working around that post-up area, than it is learning how to just shoot outside. So we’re encouraging him to get inside more. And it’s a growth process.”

Heading into Friday, Porzingis had taken more shots from beyond the arc and mid-range (384 attempts) than in the paint (277). He was also shooting just 40 percent on shots that were from distances of 1-4 feet.

“We can teach him things, show him little tricks. But he’s actually got to get out there and go through it,” Rambis said. “I think we all forget how young he is just because of his height. He’s learned a lot and grown a lot and he’s going to continue to get better for the rest of this season and the rest of his career. But playing inside and figuring out how to get his shot off and how to play against different people who do different things defensively is what’s going to be much better for him going forward.”

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