ORLANDO — Short-handed, outmuscled and undermined by a shaky defense, the Knicks were detonated again on the road.

And again by the Magic.

Jalen Brunson’s stat-stuffer performance wasn’t enough to avoid a 133-121 loss Saturday night, with the Knicks allowing the opponents to shoot a robust 55 percent from the field.

Jordan Clarkson loses control of the ball during the Knicks’ 133-121 road loss to the Magic on Nov. 22, 2025. AP

The defining moment occurred with 7:02 remaining in the fourth quarter, when the Magic were in the middle of a 20-4 run and Jalen Suggs was fighting for a loose ball after Josh Hart was stripped.

Clearly frustrated, Hart grabbed Suggs by the throat as they wrestled for the rock. Hart was issued a technical foul. The arena, overwhelmed by Knicks fans earlier in the game, burst into a “Let’s go Magic” chant.

The game felt over, and everybody knew it. The Knicks (9-6), who fell to 1-5 on the road, were practice cones on defense. A comeback was impossible under those circumstances.

Even coach Mike Brown gave up early, clearing the bench with 2:34 remaining and facing a 13-point deficit.

The Magic finished with 64 points in the paint.

“That’s just a bad job on us,” Hart said. “Obviously, there are guys who are out there that we could have played off of a little bit, and we didn’t do that. We let guys drive across the paint and do all that kind of stuff with no help, no resistance, so we’ve got to watch the film and get better.”

Jalen Brunson looks to move the ball during the Knicks’ road loss to the Magic. Imagn Images

Franz Wagner carved up the Knicks like a perfectly cooked Thanksgiving turkey, finishing with 37 points. The Magic, normally a poor shooting team from long distance, scored more than 130 points for the first time this season.

Not coincidentally, the Knicks were missing their two best perimeter defenders, OG Anunoby and Miles McBride.

“[Defending] on ball, we got to be better. But also there was no secondary help, no second effort. That’s the biggest thing,” Mikal Bridges said. “There are going to be blow-bys. There’s going to be stuff that happens, miscommunications. But we weren’t connected. We weren’t on our toes and ready to make a play. I think we were on our heels a little bit and reacting late, which I think is unacceptable.”

The Knicks, meanwhile, went from banged up to depleted. Landry Shamet suffered a scary shoulder injury in the first quarter. McBride turned into a late scratch because of an illness.

Franz Wagner shoots a jumper during the Magic’s home win over the Knicks. NBAE via Getty Images

Shamet’s shoulder appeared to pop out of its socket after a first-quarter collision with Magic center Wendell Carter Jr., resembling the dislocation that sidelined the guard for months last season. It could be a devastating situation for Shamet, whose contract is not guaranteed until January.

The circumstances put the Knicks rotation in flux. Mohamed Diawara, Tyler Kolek and Pacôme Dadiet all logged first-half minutes. More than anything, the Knicks needed Brunson to strap on his cape.

The All-Star scored 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting in the first half, giving the Knicks a 66-64 edge at the break. Then he cooled off — still finishing with 33 points and 11 assists — as the Knicks were outscored in the second half 69-54. Bridges had 18 points, but was scoreless in the fourth quarter, continuing his trend of disappearing in the final period. Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points, but also four turnovers. Hart fouled out in just 29 minutes.

The Magic also suffered a setback at halftime, when head coach Jamahl Mosley didn’t return to the sideline because of an illness. Assistant Joe Prunty took over and got the win.

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For Wagner, the German star, it didn’t matter who was on the sideline. He killed the Knicks for the second time in less than two weeks.

In the Magic’s victory Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden, Wagner had 28 points, nine rebounds and four assists. In Orlando, he shot 13-for-19 with seven assists.

“He’s big first of all, he’s long, strong,” Brown gushed. “He’s a three-level scorer. He’s got a great pace and confidence about his game. He’s got great footwork. He likes to go right, but he can go left, cut left. … He’s crafty enough and skilled enough where he can come back to it with all sorts of things, whether it’s the Euro [step] or the spin dribble. Offensively, he can score at all three levels. He’s a pretty good athlete. That footwork when he’s attacking — he can stop and spin, fade away, which makes him real tough to guard.”

The Magic (10-7) are streaking with six wins in their past seven games, including two wins over the Knicks.

In the previous Knicks-Magic matchup, Orlando asserted itself as the stronger and peskier team.

The Knicks were punked at home, then blasted on the road.