Moritz Wagner #21 of the Orlando Magic walks backcourt during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Emirates Cup Quarterfinal at Fiserv Forum on December 10, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Stacy Revere/Getty Images/AFP
ORLANDO, Florida — Add Moritz Wagner to Orlando’s rapidly expanding injury list.
The Magic’s backup center, and the older brother of injured forward Franz Wagner, went down with a potentially serious left knee injury with 2:33 left in the first quarter of Saturday night’s game against the Miami Heat.
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The Magic came back to win 121–114, but the elation of their comeback was tempered by the prospect of a long absence of a player they consider to be a Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
READ: NBA: Magic tie franchise record with 25-point comeback vs Heat
“We’re all praying for him. This one was for Mo,” said center Goga Bitadze. “It’s really bad to see one of our brothers go down. Like we’ve been saying, ‘Next man up,’ But this guy deserved better than this.”
Magic coach Jamahl Mosely opened his postgame comments with an emotional announcement that he could not answer questions about the 6-foot-11 Wagner. The team said Wagner will undergo further evaluation on Sunday.
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Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, Orlando’s top two scorers, are out long-term with torn obliques. Banchero missed his 25th game Saturday night and Franz Wagner missed his fifth game. The Magic also played Saturday without guard Jalen Suggs, who was a late scratch after injuring his ankle in a game against Oklahoma City on Thursday night.
Mo Wagner’s knee buckled on a drive to the basket. He went down and was helped off the floor and brought straight to the locker room.
READ: NBA: Magic lose Franz Wagner to same injury as Paolo Banchero’s
He averaged 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds whole playing 19.4 minutes per game. He has played in all 29 Magic games so far this season and missed only two games last season.
“I think he was going to be the Sixth Man of the Year. Hopefully he can come back and pick that up,” said Cole Anthony, who led Orlando’s big comeback Saturday night.
“I call him a one-man army,” Bitadze said. “We were all playing for Mo. You look at the crazy numbers he’s had this season. Sixth man, definitely.”
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