ORLANDO \u2014 Short-handed, outmuscled and undermined by a shaky defense, the Knicks were detonated again on the road.<\/p>\n
And again by the Magic.<\/p>\n
Jalen Brunson\u2019s stat-stuffer performance wasn\u2019t enough to avoid a 133-121 loss Saturday night, with the Knicks allowing the opponents to shoot a robust 55 percent from the field.<\/p>\n
Jordan Clarkson loses control of the ball during the Knicks\u2019 133-121 road loss to the Magic on Nov. 22, 2025. AP<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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 \u201cLet\u2019s go Magic\u201d chant.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
Even coach Mike Brown gave up early, clearing the bench with 2:34 remaining and facing a 13-point deficit.<\/p>\n
The Magic finished with 64 points in the paint.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s just a bad job on us,\u201d Hart said. \u201cObviously, there are guys who are out there that we could have played off of a little bit, and we didn\u2019t do that. We let guys drive across the paint and do all that kind of stuff with no help, no resistance, so we\u2019ve got to watch the film and get better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jalen Brunson looks to move the ball during the Knicks\u2019 road loss to the Magic. Imagn Images<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Not coincidentally, the Knicks were missing their two best perimeter defenders, OG Anunoby and Miles McBride.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Defending] on ball, we got to be better. But also there was no secondary help, no second effort. That\u2019s the biggest thing,\u201d Mikal Bridges said. \u201cThere are going to be blow-bys. There\u2019s going to be stuff that happens, miscommunications. But we weren\u2019t connected. We weren\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Franz Wagner shoots a jumper during the Magic\u2019s home win over the Knicks. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n