Orlando Magic ahead Franz Wagner exited the sport towards the Minnesota Timberwolves and instantly went to the locker room with an obvious left leg damage.
Wagner grabbed his knee after making a cease on a fastbreak and the play went on for the opposite finish. There wasn’t a big response from the Kia Center crowd, however the damage might vary from wherever to a knee bump to one thing that would hold him out for the playoffs and past.
Wagner returned to the bench in the third quarter, pedalling on the stationary bike, which is an indication that his damage is not too severe. He finally returned to the court docket later in the sport.
Wagner has been ramping up his exercise after being out for a number of months with a excessive ankle sprain. This is his fourth recreation again from damage after having performed towards the Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans. Wagner didn’t play towards the Detroit Pistons, which was the second evening of a back-to-back.
The Magic have performed a lot of the season with out Wagner, who performed in simply his thirty second recreation towards the Wolves, so that they know the way to play with out him, however that does not make it any higher.
While Jamahl Mosley’s squad has proven unbelievable resilience, leaning closely on Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane, the numbers present a transparent dip in offensive effectivity when Wagner is on the sidelines.
Without his potential to slash to the rim and create for others, the Magic offense can get stagnant, particularly in the halfcourt. If this damage ranges towards the extra extreme finish of the spectrum, Orlando should depend on elevated manufacturing from Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner to fill the scoring void.
What’s Next For Magic?
The severity of the damage stays unknown, with potentialities starting from a minor “knee knock” or bone bruise to a extra structural subject that would jeopardize his availability for the upcoming postseason. The group is predicted to be very cautious with him in the ultimate two video games of the common season.
His standing is probably going up in the air for Friday towards the Chicago Bulls or Sunday in the common season finale towards the Boston Celtics. Both video games are extraordinarily essential for the Magic’s playoff hopes.
Fans can watch the rest of the sport between the Timberwolves and Magic on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.
