Beginning Monday night, the New York Knicks finally will get to experience what it's like to play at home for an extended period of time.

The Orlando Magic, meanwhile, probably aren't close to remembering what it's like to play with something resembling a full roster.

A pair of Eastern Conference contenders are slated to meet for the final time in the regular season on Monday night in New York.

The Knicks answered a nine-game winning streak by losing for the second time in as many nights Saturday when they dropped a 139-126 decision to the host Chicago Bulls.

The Magic will complete a back-to-back set after Sunday night's 105-92 loss to the visiting Utah Jazz.

The two-game losing streak is the first in two months for the Knicks, who hadn't dropped back-to-back contests since falling to the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks from Nov. 4-6.

The losses to the Bulls this past Saturday and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday may have reflected the road weariness experienced by the Knicks.

"We could make every excuse under the sun if we wanted to," said New York center Karl-Anthony Towns, who collected 44 points and 16 rebounds against the Bulls despite a right knee injury that has him listed as questionable for Monday.

"At the end of the day, OKC found a way to beat us. Chicago found a way to beat us. Simple as that."

Still, the travel is about to become less demanding for the Knicks, whose 21 road games are tied for the most in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers. New York has two five-game homestands scheduled over the next month, a span during which the team will play 11 of its 13 games at Madison Square Garden.

"With NBA players, that's the biggest thing about travel is not being in the same bed we purchased, we know is the best for us, we love the most," Towns said. "I think (at) the end of the day, that's what we really miss is being in our bed."

The Magic, who are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, are in search of some healing powers following a spate of injuries.

Orlando's injured list grew on Friday after Jalen Suggs exited with back spasms. Suggs didn't play Sunday, when Anthony Black was in uniform but missed his fourth straight game with a back injury.

While third-year star Paolo Banchero is nearing a return from the torn right oblique he sustained on Oct. 30, Moritz Wagner is out for the season with a torn left ACL and his brother, Franz, is sidelined indefinitely with a torn right oblique.

The Magic missed a chance to gain on the Knicks on Sunday, when they were tied at the half before the Jazz took control by outscoring Orlando 28-19 in the third quarter. Utah, which led by 20 points deep into the fourth, shot 56.8 percent (21 of 37) from the field in the second half.

"Regardless of who's in the game, who's not, you have to continue to play the right way -- sharing it, moving it, trusting it, defending the right way, not falling into the game of how (the Jazz) are doing it," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. "We have to just sit and guard the way we know how.

"We didn't end up getting that done the way we needed to."

--Field Level Media

Quickchart Matchup

Orlando Off vs  New York Defense
105.3 Points For 110.7 Points Against 44.5 FG% 46.4 FG% 41.6 Reb 41.0 Reb

New York Off vs  Orlando Defense
117.8 Points For 103.4 Points Against 49.8 FG% 46.5 FG% 43.4 Reb 40.7 Reb