Franz Wagner scored 35 points to lead the Orlando Magic to a 106-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
Wagner made 12 of 23 shots from the field and was perfect from the free-throw line, going 10 for 10. This was his seventh 30-point game of the season. Jalen Suggs added 17 points, making 4 of 8 three-pointers, while the rest of the Magic team struggled with their three-point shooting, going 4 for 21.
For Philadelphia, rookie Jared McCain scored 24 points, leading the team. The 76ers played without Joel Embiid (knee) and Paul George (knee), while Orlando was still missing Paolo Banchero (oblique).
Tyrese Maxey (16 points), Kelly Oubre Jr. (15 points), and Guerschon Yabusele (15 points) also contributed for the 76ers, who will face the Magic again on Friday night.
The game was tied at 53-53 at halftime and at 74-74 after three quarters. The fourth quarter was just as exciting.
The Magic started the final period strong, scoring 10 of the first 12 points, including three baskets by Wagner.
Orlando led 97-87 with 4:07 left, but Philadelphia made a strong push. McCain’s 3-pointer and Maxey’s layup helped the 76ers score 13 of the next 17 points. However, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made two free throws with eight seconds left, putting the Magic ahead 103-100.
Maxey tried a running 3-pointer on the other end, hoping for a foul, but there was no call and the shot missed. Wagner then made two free throws to seal the win.
Wagner had 11 points in the first quarter, helping the Magic lead 34-22 after the opening period.
Orlando’s Jonathan Isaac (14 points) hit a 3-pointer early in the second quarter, pushing the lead to 15 points. But the 76ers responded and cut the lead to 44-42 with a layup from McCain. The Magic extended their lead to seven points, but McCain and Maxey helped the 76ers tie the game at halftime.
The Sixers took a six-point lead early in the third quarter, but Wagner scored six straight points to tie the game. From then on, the teams stayed close, with the lead never more than three points apart for the rest of the period.
