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When Franz Wagner went down to the floor grabbing his left knee in pain two minutes into the third quarter of Wednesday’s game between Orlando and Minnesota inside Kia Center, the Magic only led the Timberwolves by five points.
It could have easily been a tipping point toward a loss for Jamahl Mosley‘s group, given that Wagner had already missed 48 games this season because of an extended rehab from a left high ankle sprain suffered in early December.
The energy quickly left the building as those watching feared the worst.
Fortunately for Orlando, not only was Wagner able to walk off the court on his own power and return to the game later in the frame, but also by the time he did, the team hadn’t crumbled.
Instead, the Magic led the Western Conference foe by 20 points when Wagner checked back into the game to a loud applause from the stands. He played eight more minutes and helped Orlando deter the Timberwolves from making a fourth-quarter comeback as the Magic won their fourth in a row 132-120 during the group’s final home game of the regular season.
“It was a little scary,” Magic forward Paolo Banchero said in the locker room about the moment Wagner went down. “I wasn’t too worried because he walked to the locker room on his own, but you don’t want to see him go down. … It was good to see him come back and play.”
Added Mosley: “It was a sigh of relief in a lot ways.”
It was during that third quarter with Wagner off the court for most of it when Banchero played all 12 minutes racking up seven points, four rebounds and three assists while Jalen Suggs knocked down two triples to help Orlando outscore Minnesota 38-30 in that stretch.
“I didn’t see that part of the game,” said Wagner who explained he felt he hyperextended his left leg before the pain subsided and he was cleared to return. “But I thought the second half was a lot better in terms of our intensity and focus and just sticking to what we want to do. That tends to work out really well for us.”
Banchero neared a triple-double for the night with 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting with eight rebounds and six assists, while he and Suggs (11 points) were among the seven Magic players to finish scoring in double figures. Desmond Bane added 18 points, Wagner 17, Goga Bitadze 14, Tristan da Silva 12 and Jevon Carter 11.
It was the 19th time this season that Orlando has recorded 30-plus assists. The Magic improved to 15-4 in those instances.
“The ball has energy,” Mosley said. “When you’re touching it, moving it and sharing it, that’s a big key that we constantly talk about.”
So what’s changed for the Magic in order for them to win four in a row and six of their last eight after previously dropping six straight?
In the eyes of Banchero, health has gone a long way, following the recent return of Wagner and Anthony Black.
“Huge lift,” he said. “Above all else, that’s the main reason why we’re playing better right now, just getting two of our better players back.”
The Magic were still without Jett Howard (left ankle sprain) and Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain), but Wednesday’s game was the first since Dec. 7 at New York that Orlando began a contest with its opening night starting lineup of Suggs, Bane, Wagner, Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. together and had Black and da Silva come off the bench.
Those seven players represent the team’s top seven scorers. Howard and Isaac remain out Friday while Carter Jr. will continue to wear a mask to protect his broken nose.
And as the Magic improve, so do their chances at reaching the playoffs. Orlando, which after Wednesday can not finish worse than ninth in the East, rose to No. 7, a half-game behind No. 6 Toronto and a half-game in front of No. 8 Philadelphia.
Entering Thursday, the Magic had a 9.1% chance to finish the regular season in the top six, a 28.1% chance to end seventh, a 41.1% chance to finish eighth and a 21.7% chance to close in ninth, according to basketball-reference.com.
“You never want to leave it up to the other teams, for them to decide where you’re going to be, but this is where we are right now, and we have to take care of business,” Bitadze said. “Wherever we’re going to be, I think we like every matchup.
“Nobody wants to see us in a seven-game series,” he added. “That’s how we feel. We’ve got to prove it, but we’ve got to take care of business and wherever we end up, go from there.”
Although they’ve won four in a row, the Magic (44-36) know they can’t let up. Only two games remain in the regular season, starting Friday at Chicago. Orlando’s regular season ends Sunday at Boston.
Already eliminated from the postseason, the Bulls (30-49) fired president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley earlier this week.
“I don’t think — these four wins – anyone’s like super excited,” Banchero said. “We’re still fighting. We’re still clawing. We need to win all the games, and we can still be better. When you get to the postseason, that’s when you want to be at your best.”
Sunday’s regular season finale at Boston was picked up by ESPN, the league announced Wednesday night.
The matchup between the Magic and Celtics, which will still tip off inside TD Garden at 6 p.m., is part of a Sunday national TV double-header. The Nuggets will face the Spurs on ESPN afterwards.
Orlando’s meeting with Boston will still be televised locally in Central Florida on FanDuel Sports Network Florida, the team said.
Jason Beede can be reached at [email protected]
Magic at Bulls
When: 8 p.m., Friday, United Center
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida/WESH2
Continue reading...
It could have easily been a tipping point toward a loss for Jamahl Mosley‘s group, given that Wagner had already missed 48 games this season because of an extended rehab from a left high ankle sprain suffered in early December.
The energy quickly left the building as those watching feared the worst.
Fortunately for Orlando, not only was Wagner able to walk off the court on his own power and return to the game later in the frame, but also by the time he did, the team hadn’t crumbled.
Instead, the Magic led the Western Conference foe by 20 points when Wagner checked back into the game to a loud applause from the stands. He played eight more minutes and helped Orlando deter the Timberwolves from making a fourth-quarter comeback as the Magic won their fourth in a row 132-120 during the group’s final home game of the regular season.
“It was a little scary,” Magic forward Paolo Banchero said in the locker room about the moment Wagner went down. “I wasn’t too worried because he walked to the locker room on his own, but you don’t want to see him go down. … It was good to see him come back and play.”
Added Mosley: “It was a sigh of relief in a lot ways.”
It was during that third quarter with Wagner off the court for most of it when Banchero played all 12 minutes racking up seven points, four rebounds and three assists while Jalen Suggs knocked down two triples to help Orlando outscore Minnesota 38-30 in that stretch.
“I didn’t see that part of the game,” said Wagner who explained he felt he hyperextended his left leg before the pain subsided and he was cleared to return. “But I thought the second half was a lot better in terms of our intensity and focus and just sticking to what we want to do. That tends to work out really well for us.”
Banchero neared a triple-double for the night with 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting with eight rebounds and six assists, while he and Suggs (11 points) were among the seven Magic players to finish scoring in double figures. Desmond Bane added 18 points, Wagner 17, Goga Bitadze 14, Tristan da Silva 12 and Jevon Carter 11.
It was the 19th time this season that Orlando has recorded 30-plus assists. The Magic improved to 15-4 in those instances.
“The ball has energy,” Mosley said. “When you’re touching it, moving it and sharing it, that’s a big key that we constantly talk about.”
So what’s changed for the Magic in order for them to win four in a row and six of their last eight after previously dropping six straight?
In the eyes of Banchero, health has gone a long way, following the recent return of Wagner and Anthony Black.
“Huge lift,” he said. “Above all else, that’s the main reason why we’re playing better right now, just getting two of our better players back.”
The Magic were still without Jett Howard (left ankle sprain) and Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain), but Wednesday’s game was the first since Dec. 7 at New York that Orlando began a contest with its opening night starting lineup of Suggs, Bane, Wagner, Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. together and had Black and da Silva come off the bench.
Those seven players represent the team’s top seven scorers. Howard and Isaac remain out Friday while Carter Jr. will continue to wear a mask to protect his broken nose.
And as the Magic improve, so do their chances at reaching the playoffs. Orlando, which after Wednesday can not finish worse than ninth in the East, rose to No. 7, a half-game behind No. 6 Toronto and a half-game in front of No. 8 Philadelphia.
Entering Thursday, the Magic had a 9.1% chance to finish the regular season in the top six, a 28.1% chance to end seventh, a 41.1% chance to finish eighth and a 21.7% chance to close in ninth, according to basketball-reference.com.
“You never want to leave it up to the other teams, for them to decide where you’re going to be, but this is where we are right now, and we have to take care of business,” Bitadze said. “Wherever we’re going to be, I think we like every matchup.
“Nobody wants to see us in a seven-game series,” he added. “That’s how we feel. We’ve got to prove it, but we’ve got to take care of business and wherever we end up, go from there.”
Although they’ve won four in a row, the Magic (44-36) know they can’t let up. Only two games remain in the regular season, starting Friday at Chicago. Orlando’s regular season ends Sunday at Boston.
Already eliminated from the postseason, the Bulls (30-49) fired president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley earlier this week.
“I don’t think — these four wins – anyone’s like super excited,” Banchero said. “We’re still fighting. We’re still clawing. We need to win all the games, and we can still be better. When you get to the postseason, that’s when you want to be at your best.”
TV update
Sunday’s regular season finale at Boston was picked up by ESPN, the league announced Wednesday night.
The matchup between the Magic and Celtics, which will still tip off inside TD Garden at 6 p.m., is part of a Sunday national TV double-header. The Nuggets will face the Spurs on ESPN afterwards.
Orlando’s meeting with Boston will still be televised locally in Central Florida on FanDuel Sports Network Florida, the team said.
Jason Beede can be reached at [email protected]
Up next …
Magic at Bulls
When: 8 p.m., Friday, United Center
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida/WESH2
Continue reading...
