ORLANDO — Shorthanded, outmuscled and exhibiting a shaky defense, the Knicks were overwhelmed again on the road.
And again by the Orlando Magic.
Jalen Brunson’s stat-stuffer performance wasn’t enough to avoid a 133-121 loss Saturday night to the Magic, with the Knicks allowing the opponent to shoot 54 percent from the field.
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.
Jordan Clarkson loses control of the ball during the Knicks’ 133-121 road loss to the Magic on Nov. 22, 2025. AP
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 and a comeback was impossible under those circumstances.
Franz Wagner dissected the Knicks and finished with 37 points.
The Magic, normally a poor shooting team from long distance, scored over 130 points for the first time this season.
The Knicks, meanwhile, went from banged up to depleted, with Landry Shamet suffering a scary shoulder injury in the first quarter and Miles McBride turning into a late scratch because of an illness.
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 nonguaranteed.
The circumstances sent the Knicks rotation in flux. Mohamed Diawara, Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet all logged first-half minutes.
But 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 — finishing with 33 points and 11 assists — with coach Mike Brown waving the white flag with mass substitutions in the final three minutes.
Mikal Bridges had 18 points but was scoreless in the fourth quarter, continuing his trend of wilting in the final period.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points but also four turnovers.
Jalen Brunson looks to move the ball during the Knicks’ road loss to the Magic. Imagn Images
Hart fouled out in just 29 minutes.
The Magic also suffered a setback at halftime, when their head coach, Jamahl Mosely, didn’t return to the sideline because of an illness.
Assistant Joe Prunty took over the head-coaching duties and got the win.
For Wagner, the German star, it didn’t matter who was on the sideline.
Franz Wagner shoots a jumper during the Magic’s home win over the Knicks. NBAE via Getty Images
He killed the Knicks for the second time in less than two weeks.
In the Magic victory Nov. 12 at MSG, Wagner had 28 points, nine boards 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 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.”
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The Magic (10-7) are streaking with six wins in their last seven games, including two wins over the Knicks in that stretch.
In the previous Knicks-Magic matchup, Orlando asserted itself as the stronger and peskier team.
The Knicks were punked at home and wanted revenge on the road.
“They were physical with us [in the first game],” Brown said. “They’re really good in that regard. They did a great job attacking the rim, whether it was in transition or in the front court. We didn’t do a great job guarding the basketball. Our shifts weren’t quite there. And then they rebounded pretty good, especially in that first half. So we have to do a better job in those area. And then offensively try to play the pick and roll two on two. We turned the ball over a few times early in the game. So we have to do a better job with our decision making when we get in the paint and trying to be the aggressors, try to get them on their heels because they definitely had us on our heels that night.”
The Knicks were indeed a little better in the rematch but not nearly good enough.
Especially on defense.