Three Takeaways From the Nets Crushing Loss to the Magic

The Nets entered Friday night sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings at 1-10, only ahead of the Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers, who were both 1-11.

They were also 0-1 in the NBA Cup, but had an opportunity to pick up a win there with a trip to Orlando to face the Magic. For a majority of the night, it looked like the Nets would do just that, but the Magic had one more trick up their sleeve. Orlando used a late 11-0 run to close out a 105-98 win over Brooklyn, dropping the Nets to 1-11.

Here are the three biggest takeaways from the Nets loss to the Magic.

1. Nets Dominate First Half

lobs on lobs on lobs

MPJ 🤝 Clax pic.twitter.com/dkQg9UU5UB
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 15, 2025

While Brooklyn only led by four at halftime, that score wasn't indicative of how well the Nets played in the opening 24 minutes. They shot 49% from the field and 7-19 from behind the arc. The Nets had 15 assists in the first half, sharing the ball at an elite level. And they forced ten Magic turnovers, compared to only turning the ball over twice themselves.

Brooklyn's defense was excellent, too, putting considerable pressure on the Orlando offense and ball handlers. The Nets have had a bad habit of starting games slowly this year, but completely flipped the script on Friday. While it ultimately didn't matter, this was still an encouraging sign for this young team.

2. Michael Porter Jr.'s Excellent Night

yeaaaaa Mike! https://t.co/baT9Vxr1TE pic.twitter.com/mlrsSyza2J
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 15, 2025

Porter Jr. was outstanding on Friday night, playing an excellent all-around game. In the first half alone, he had 15 points, six rebounds, and a career-high seven assists on 6-12 shooting from the field. Six of those assists came in the first quarter alone, which matched the previous career best for Porter Jr. He finished the night with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.

In the absence of Cam Thomas, Porter Jr. has elevated his game, doing all the little things right and still managing to be an elite scorer. He showed off some skills as a passer on Friday that he had never shown before in his career. If that part of his game can carry over into the rest of this season, Porter Jr. will be in All-Star conversations.

3. Brooklyn Crumbles Late

The Nets led 98-94 with just under two minutes left in the game when Magic forward Franz Wagner missed a pair of free throws. However, Brooklyn couldn't corral the rebound, giving the Magic a second chance.

A few seconds later, Tristan da Silva hit a three to cut it to a one-point game. Wagner would go on to hit two clutch threes soon after to ice the game. It was a huge missed opportunity for the Nets by failing to box out on the missed free throw from Wagner.

Despite that, this entire game and the effort to close it out showed a lot about the heart of Jordi Fernandez's squad. While that heart hasn't led to many wins this season, it's exactly what the front office and fanbase are hoping to see from this team. If the Nets can be this scrappy and hungry defensively going forward, they'll be a fun team to watch this season.