Tag: Orlando Magic

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Franz Wagner leads the Magic to a dominant win over the Nets

Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets

Franz Wagner scored 21 of his 29 points in the first half as the Orlando Magic took control late in the second quarter and pulled away in the third, beating the Brooklyn Nets 123-100 in an NBA Cup game on Friday night in New York.

With this win, Orlando moved to 3-0 in Group A, beginning a stretch of three consecutive games in New York. They extended their winning streak to five games and have now won 11 of their last 12 games. Brooklyn, on the other hand, ended the NBA Cup with a 1-3 record and was eliminated earlier in the day after the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Wagner scored 29 points against Brooklyn for the second time this season, adding eight rebounds and eight assists. He shot 12-of-20 from the field and made three 3-pointers.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit four 3-pointers, scoring 19 points. The Magic continued their strong play, improving to 11-5 since Paolo Banchero was sidelined with an oblique injury. Rookie Tristan da Silva scored 13, while Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. each added 12 points. Orlando shot 53 percent from the field, matched their season-high with 18 3-pointers, and scored 34 points off 20 Brooklyn turnovers.

Franz Wagner (NBA)

Brooklyn was already missing Cam Thomas (hamstring), and with six different starting lineups in as many games, they saw their three-game winning streak come to an end. Dennis Schroder (personal) and Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) were also absent.

Shake Milton scored 22 points, and Keon Johnson added 15 as Brooklyn’s bench contributed 58 points. Cameron Johnson had 14 points, Trendon Watford scored 13, and Jalen Wilson added 11 as the Nets shot 49.4 percent from the field.

Wagner’s nine first-quarter points helped Orlando build a 33-29 lead after the first quarter, making 12 of 18 shots. After a missed dunk by Claxton with 3:11 left in the second quarter, Wagner added a layup and a 3-pointer as Orlando closed the half with a 13-3 run, leading 61-49.

The Magic took their first 20-point lead when Suggs hit a 3-pointer from the left corner to make it 74-54 with 9:09 remaining in the third. Carter’s hook shot with 6:29 pushed the lead to 80-55. Orlando then entered the fourth quarter with a 96-71 lead.

When the Nets cut the deficit back to 20, Wagner hit three more baskets in the lane to extend the lead to 105-84 with 5:15 left, essentially sealing the victory.

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NBA (Basketball)

The Magic, led by Franz Wagner, will take on the Bulls as they look to keep their winning momentum going

Franz Wagner (NBA)

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.”

Paolo Banchero shoots a free throw in the 1st half

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.”

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NBA (Basketball)

A powerful fourth quarter leads the Magic to victory over the Hornets

Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets

Franz Wagner scored 21 points, and Jonathan Isaac made three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help the Orlando Magic overcome three tough quarters and defeat the Charlotte Hornets 95-84 on Monday night.

Thanks to their strong perimeter shooting, Orlando turned a 62-58 deficit into an 88-77 lead in the final quarter, spoiling a great performance from Hornets guard LaMelo Ball.

Magic bench players Moritz Wagner (16 points), Cole Anthony (16), Isaac (11), and Anthony Black (10) stepped up when needed, helping the team win for the ninth time in their last 10 games.

Ball finished with 44 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, while Brandon Miller added 20 points and 10 rebounds. Ball made 17 of 30 shots, including four 3-pointers on 11 attempts.

The Hornets, who began a five-game homestand, had won their previous four home games. However, despite their strong effort, Charlotte has now lost four of its last five games. The Hornets committed 27 turnovers in the game.

Orlando’s Gary Harris, a starting guard, had to leave the game after seven minutes due to a strained left hamstring, and Black stepped in to help fill the gap.

Franz Wagner
Franz Wagner (NBA)

Anthony got Orlando going in the fourth quarter, scoring the team’s first five points. Then Isaac played a key role in helping the Magic take control.

In the end, Orlando outscored Charlotte 37-22 in the fourth, but they still only shot 39.4% from the field for the game. Charlotte shot 41.3% overall.

With 6:57 left in the third quarter, Ball made two free throws to reach 25 points and give the Hornets a 54-49 lead.

The Magic stayed close, trailing by just four points, 62-58, heading into the final quarter.

Ball made a late 3-pointer to give the Hornets a 46-42 lead at halftime. He had 19 points by then, while Miller added 11. No Orlando starter had more than six points in the first half.

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NBA (Basketball)

LaMelo Ball and the Hornets aim to slow down the surging Magic

Charlotte Hornets and Bucks

The Orlando Magic and the Charlotte Hornets will face off on Monday night in Charlotte, with both teams putting up strong numbers recently. However, only Orlando has been able to turn those numbers into a string of wins.

The Hornets, on the other hand, are looking for more victories despite some strong individual performances. Charlotte guard LaMelo Ball scored 50 points in Saturday’s 125-119 loss to Milwaukee. That was Charlotte’s third loss in the last four games, with their only win coming in overtime against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.

“That’s just him leading the team, as always,” said Brandon Miller about Ball, who was ranked third in the NBA in scoring with an average of 30.2 points per game. “Just being the top dog, making everybody better, getting everybody in the right places. (He’s) competing at the highest level he can and trying to get some wins for this Charlotte Hornets team.”

The Magic have been one of the hottest teams in the league, winning eight of their last nine games. One of those wins was a 114-99 victory over the Hornets on November 12.

Franz Wagner scored 30 points to help Orlando beat Detroit 111-100 on Saturday. He was the only starter to score in double figures, while Moritz Wagner came off the bench to score 18 points, and three other reserves scored 10 or more points.

Moritz Wagner’s contribution has been especially important to the Magic’s success.

LaMelo Ball and Ochai Agbaji in the 2nd half

“Moe wakes up with 10 points,” said Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley. “I think that’s just how it looks for him. He and Franz, obviously the brother connection is one thing. They’re knowing where one guy is going to be, the chemistry and communication that they have, just the ability to play off each other.”

Franz Wagner had 32 points in the first game against Charlotte this season.

For the Hornets, both Ball and Miller hit six 3-pointers in the loss to Milwaukee. Ball also recorded 10 assists and took 38 of Charlotte’s 100 shots from the field. Miller grabbed 11 rebounds in the game.

Only Ball and former Hornets guard Kemba Walker have scored 50 points in a game for Charlotte. Ball has expressed his admiration for Walker and appreciates the support he’s received from him.

“That’s my guy for sure,” Ball said. “Always helping, always looking out. I mean, just always putting in the extra effort to be there and stuff. So, that’s all love.”

The Hornets will begin a five-game homestand on Monday and have won their last four home games.

However, Charlotte is dealing with an injury, as forward Grant Williams is expected to miss Monday’s game due to a right knee injury.

“I think it has just been diagnosed as a right knee injury,” said Hornets coach Charles Lee. “We’ll continue to get some imaging and evaluations. The most important thing is that all of our prayers are with Grant, and we hope the news comes back as good as possible.”

The Magic might be closer to getting Wendell Carter Jr. back after he went through another workout on Saturday.

“He’s gone through some pretty, pretty strenuous workouts, so we’re going to continue to see how he responds to those and we’ll go from there,” Mosley said.