The Orlando Magic outmuscled, outhustled, and outshot the Knicks from start to finish in a 124-107 thumping at Madison Square Garden on a Wednesday night.
It was the 2nd game of a back-to-back for the Knicks, and everything NY had done in thumping Memphis the night before was done onto them by the Magic.
The Magic defense eliminated the Knick passing game, and NY fell back on having Jalen Brunson do most of their scoring. He had 31 points on 10-23 shooting (1-4 from 3) but rolled his ankle late in the 4th quarter and was seen leaving MSG on crutches with a boot on.
The Magic superstar Paolo Banchero only played 12 minutes — leaving a with 6:40 to go in the 2nd quarter with a groin injury. Orlando was up 11 at the time and even without Banchero, continued to outmuscle and outplay NY to take a 20-pt halftime lead. Franz Wagner (28 pts), Desmond Bane (22 pts), Jalen Suggs (14 pts), Wendell Carter Jr. (13 pts), and Anthony Black (17 pts off the bench) were too physical and quick for the Knicks to handle.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Brunson led a Knick comeback that pulled them to within 9 points with 6 minutes left in the 4th quarter, but Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, and Desmon Bane hit 3’s to thwart Brunson who put on his cape for 4 straight NY buckets — and Orlando pulled back out to a 17-pt lead.
Mitchell Robinson played 17 minutes and had 8 rebounds, but even he and Josh Hart (10 pts in 18 minutes) could not make a difference. OG Anunoby had a quiet night of 8 pts in 34 minutes, and Mikal Bridges an even quieter 6 pts in 28 minutes. KAT scored 15 pts with 12 rebounds in 34 minutes.
“You gotta give them credit, they kicked our ass,” said coach Mike Brown afterwards. “It’s as simple as that. Against a good team you have to win the possession game in order to give yourself a chance to win the game. We got our ass kicked in that.”
“We didn’t respond the way we should have,” said Miles McBride afterwards. “You can blame it on the back-to-back, excuses, there’s none of that. They flat out kicked our ass.”
NY falls to 7-4; Orlando improves to 6-6.
1. Orlando Does to NY What NY Did to Memphis
It was clear from the start that Orlando came out to play — ready for the Knicks whom they had no doubt watched beat Memphis the night before.
Orlando’s defense took away the Knicks passing game from the start, and they outhustled and outmuscled the Knicks. Orlando is known for playing a very physical style of ball under head coach Jamahl Mosley, and some Knicks felt the refs were letting them get away with things.
Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Desmond Bane quickly went to work and Orlando was up 15-6 just like that.
The Knicks pulled back into it but Orlando was up 30-23 at the end of the 1st quarter and in command.
Jalen Suggs block 😱
Wendell Carter Jr. three pic.twitter.com/p1hSDBffnw
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 13, 2025
Afterwards, coach Mike Brown put blame on the Knick players for complaining to the refs: “That was disappointing to see. We were the culprits of a lot of stuff that happened out on the floor. I couldn’t even use a challenge because we were fouling.”
2. Orlando Goes Up by 20 in 2nd Quarter
The 2nd quarter was more of the same — even after Banchero went out with a pulled groin with 6:40 left and Orlando up 41-30.
Franz Wagner kept scoring inside, and Orlando sharpshooters were knocking down 3’s just like NY had done the night before.
Franz Wagner highlights vs. NYK:
28 PTS
9 REB
4 AST
+21 +/-@Kia pic.twitter.com/ExhKNQCnIG— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 13, 2025
Orlando went up 62-42 at the half. The night before against Memphis, NY scored 42 in the first quarter.
3. Knicks Can’t Dent Orlando Lead in the 3rd
The Knicks played better ball in the 3rd, trying to cut into Orlando’s lead. But Orlando had an answer for any Knick runs. NY kept the deficit in the high teens most of the period, until an Anthony Black 3 with 12 seconds left put Orlando up by 21 at 91-70 — their biggest lead of the night.
A Josh Hart 3 with 2 seconds left pulled NY within 18 — meaning NY had actually outscored Orlando 31-29 in the quarter, denting the lead just a little.
4. KAT- & Brunson-Led Knick Comeback in 4th Is Thwarted
Jordan Clarkson and Miles McBride got buckets at start of the 4th to begin to slice the Orlando lead, and then Karl-Anthony Towns went to work with a bucket inside and a 3 to pull NY within 12 at 93-81 with 9:48 left.
HE WANTED IT. HE GOT IT.
13 PTS | 10 REB for KAT pic.twitter.com/tL5gUjDhZC
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 13, 2025
A Jordan Clarkson 3 less than a minute later pulled NY to within 11 with 9:17 left.
Miles McBride hit a big 3, and then Brunson put on his cape — scoring 4 straight buckets for NY — a pullup, a drive, a floater, and another drive — but on the other end Suggs hit a 3, Wagner hit free throws, and Anthony Black hit a drive and a 3 — and Orlando was still up 110-97 with 4 minutes left.
Desmond Bane hit a 3 with 2 minutes left to put Orlando up 115-99 and it was good night, NY.
Mikal Bridges only played 2 minutes in the 4th. When asked afterwards why, he said “I’m not sure.”
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