Franz Wagner has been making it easier for the Orlando Magic to cope without Paolo Banchero.
Over the past 10 games, Wagner has been putting up an impressive 27.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 7 assists per game. He will look to keep up this strong performance when Orlando faces the Chicago Bulls at home on Wednesday night.
During Wagner’s outstanding stretch, the Magic have won 9 of their last 10 games, most recently defeating the Charlotte Hornets 95-84 on Monday. Wagner led the team with 21 points and seven assists, but it was the bench players who helped push Orlando to victory. Reserves Moritz Wagner (16 points), Cole Anthony (16), Jonathan Isaac (11), and Anthony Black (10) all scored in double figures, and the bench contributed 55.8 percent of the Magic’s total points.
Orlando’s head coach, Jamahl Mosley, is hoping his team can keep playing well, even with some key players out. Banchero hasn’t played since Oct. 30 due to a torn right oblique muscle, and the Magic were also missing Jalen Suggs (hamstring) and Wendell Carter Jr. (foot) in Monday’s game. Guard Gary Harris only played seven minutes before going down with a hamstring injury.
“Gutsy win — gritty and gutsy win,” Mosley said after Monday’s game. “Bodies down and we didn’t make excuses. This group doesn’t make excuses. That’s the second game where we found a way to win. Guys stepped up, stepped in.”
Suggs and Carter are expected to return on Wednesday, but Harris has already been ruled out for the game.
While Orlando has faced a lot of injuries, Chicago has been struggling to find consistency. The Bulls have a 5-9 record this month. However, they did manage to beat the Washington Wizards 127-108 on Tuesday night.
Coby White was one of seven Bulls players to score in double figures, finishing with 21 points and eight rebounds. Nikola Vucevic, who played for Orlando from 2012-2021, added 19 points and 12 rebounds. Although Chicago’s win was solid, it came against a Washington team that has only won two games this season. Now, Bulls coach Billy Donovan is eager to see how his team performs against the hot Magic.
“I think you have to play who is in front of you, and you look at it as, ‘Did we do the things we’ve talked about doing?’” Donovan said. “No question there was growth. Coming out of this game (against Washington), it’s not like, ‘Oh, wow, everything is fixed.’
“My thing is, can we do it (Wednesday) night against a team that’s bigger, stronger, more athletic?”
Like Orlando, Chicago could get some extra help on Wednesday, as guard Lonzo Ball is hoping to return after missing 15 games with a right wrist injury. Ball played in three games earlier this season, coming off the bench, and averaged 4.7 points per game.
“In terms of his workout and whatever (the medical team) has to do, as long as there’s no setbacks, there’s a strong possibility he’ll play,” Donovan said. “He has been doing some contact one-on-one, some shooting, catching, shooting off the dribble — he’s doing all that stuff.”
