Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero tally 32 points
Orlando Magic forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner again placed in the top 10 of All-Star fan voting returns on Thursday, but their standing changed.
Amid their 3-point shooting woes, the Orlando Magic are reportedly a dark horse to add Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson to their Paolo Banchero-led core.
The Magic are no strangers to injuries. Orlando is leaning on past experience to find light at the end of the tunnel after four losses in a row.
Wagner was playing at an All-NBA level before he tore his right oblique on Dec. 6. Before Orlando's loss in Milwaukee on Wednesday, the team changed his status on the injury repor
Wagner closed with 32 points (10-22 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 8-8 FT), four rebounds and seven assists over 30 minutes during Saturday's 121-113 victory over the Pistons. Wagner scored 25 of his 32 points during the fourth quarter,
The Magic went 7-13 without Franz Wagner, who played the expected 24 minutes on Thursday. Orlando also lost center Moritz Wagner, Franz’s older brother, to a season-ending knee injury, and Suggs, who missed his 10th game with a lower back strain.
Wagner was 1-of-12 from the field going into the fourth but recovered to make 9-of-10, etching his name into franchise history
Franz Wagner returned to the Magic lineup Thursday night against the Blazers, scoring a team-high 20 points in a 101-79 home loss.
Banchero, Wagner and Suggs collectively made eight consecutive shots without a miss in a 20-4 run to break open a tight game. Wagner, 1-for-12 from the field through the first three quarters, made nine of 10 shots in the final period for 25 points.
The Orlando Magic upgrade Franz Wagner's injury status to questionable ahead of their game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Franz Wagner was set to return to the Orlando Magic lineup against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night after missing 20 games with a torn oblique.