How to watch Magic-Knicks for free on ESPN without YouTube TV

The New York Knicks are having a moment.

After starting the 2025-26 campaign with a 2-3 record, Jalen Brunson and co. have found a rhythm and cobbled together a five-game win streak — with commanding showings against the Bulls, Wizards, Timberwolves, Nets and Grizzlies — to put them in second place in the competitive Eastern Conference.

Tonight, they’ll face Paolo Banchero’s 5-6 Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden. This will be the first of three matchups for the two clubs this season.

Ahead of the game, several news outlets reported that Banchero and head coach Jamahl Mosley are “beefing” and “avoid eye contact when Mosley addresses the team.”

“This is what a team looks like when a coach loses the locker room,” a source told RG’s Grant Afseth. “He needs to figure it out fast. This is on track to go from being the fun young team with potential to being the disappointment that gets the coach fired.”

Meanwhile, New York is in a groove, specifically dominating third quarters. Over a four-game stretch, “the Knicks had a net rating of 57.5 points in third quarters, by far the best in the NBA,” The Post reported.

“I think we’re growing as a team. It was definitely a problem for us last year, third quarters, especially the playoffs, [they] were not our friend,” Jalen Brunson noted after the Knicks’ 134-98 win over the Nets on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. “So we’re trying to address it as best we can. It starts with the little things.”

Magic vs. Knicks: what to know

When: Nov. 12, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)
Channel: ESPN
Streaming: DIRECTV (try it free)

Here’s everything you need to know to watch the Magic vs. Knicks on ESPN for free.

Magic vs. Knicks start time:

The Orlando Magic and New York Knicks are scheduled to tip off today (Nov. 12) at 7 p.m. ET.

How to watch Magic vs. Knicks for free:

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the game for free.

DIRECTV is our top pick for watching basketball live for free — its five-day free trial includes ESPN (plus every other channel you’ll need for the NBA season including local channels). When the trial is over, you’ll pay as low as $49.99/month and gain access to over 90 live channels.

If you aren’t ready to commit to a full-on subscription, you can try a Sling Orange Day Pass. Priced at $4.99, you’ll get 24 hours of access to all Sling TV Orange has to offer, including ESPN. Sling also offers weekend and week-long passes for its Orange plan, which offer between three and seven days of access.