Wagner finished Monday's 112-106 loss to the Hawks with 37 points (15-29 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and two steals over 38 minutes.
Wagner and Paolo Banchero (31) carried the scoring load for the Magic on Monday, but no other teammate scored in double digits in a close loss. Wagner has scored at least 30 points in five of 10 games since returning from a torn right oblique Jan. 23, and his scoring output is needed for a Magic team that entered Monday's game averaging a league-worst 104.0 points per game. Wagner and the Magic will welcome the Hornets on Wednesday.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Blows up for 31 points
Rotowire
Wagner accumulated 31 points (12-22 FG, 5-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds and three assists across 27 minutes during Wednesday's 130-111 win over the Kings.
The Magic continue to play solid ball as they inch toward full health, and Wagner has played lights-out since returning from a long absence. Over seven games since his return to action, Wagner has averaged 27.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Drains 18 free throws in loss
Rotowire
Wagner finished Saturday's 113-99 loss to the Jazz with 37 points (8-21 FG, 3-11 3Pt, 18-20 FT), six rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal over 34 minutes.
Wagner was the lone Magic starter to score in double digits Saturday, and he and Cole Anthony combined for 60 of Orlando's 99 points. Wagner wasn't the most efficient from the field, but he did most of his damage from the charity stripe, connecting on a career-high 18 free throws. In the five games since his return from a torn right oblique, Wagner has averaged 28.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists over 32.0 minutes per contest.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Goes for 24 points Thursday
Rotowire
Wagner closed with 24 points (8-17 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 7-8 FT), three rebounds and three assists across 31 minutes during Thursday's 119-90 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Wagner didn't have his best performance Thursday when it comes to his three-point shooting, but that was perhaps the lone area in which he faltered. The star forward is working his way back from an oblique injury that sidelined him for 20 games in a row between Dec. 8 and Jan. 21, but he hasn't shown any signs of rust after scoring at least 20 points in his four games since returning to action.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Fourth-quarter blitz seals victory
Rotowire
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, helping the Magic to a much-needed victory. In just his second game since returning from an oblique injury, Wagner's playing time was arguably just as encouraging as his performance. The fact he hit 30 minutes so quickly bodes well for his immediate future. Look for both Wagner and Paolo Banchero to ramp things up as Orlando looks to atone for what has been a lean couple of weeks.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Goes off for 20 points in return
Rotowire
Wagner (oblique) contributed 20 points (9-19 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-3 FT), four rebounds and one block in 24 minutes during Thursday's 101-79 loss to the Trail Blazers.
After missing the previous 20 games while recovering from a torn right oblique, Wagner stepped right back into the starting five Thursday, albeit with a minute restriction in place. The fourth-year wing made the most of his limited time on the court, leading the team with a 42.8 percent usage rate and putting up nearly a field-goal attempt per minute. He'll likely operate on a restriction for at least a few more games but should be ready to handle a consistent 30-plus-minute role at some point in early February.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Set to return Thursday
Rotowire
Wagner (oblique) is available for Thursday's game versus the Trail Blazers.
Wagner has been upgraded from questionable to available Thursday after missing Orlando's previous 20 contests due to a torn right oblique. Wagner will reclaim his spot in the starting lineup from Tristan da Silva, but he is expected to be limited to around 24 minutes while he fully works his way back into game shape.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Goes through shootaround
Rotowire
Wagner (oblique) went through shootaround ahead of Thursday's game versus the Trail Blazers, Philip Rossman-Reich of OrlandoMagicDaily.com reports.
Wagner hasn't played since Dec. 6 due to a torn right oblique but is officially listed as questionable for Thursday's contest. While it appears as though Wagner will likely be a game-time decision, his participation in practice is a good sign of his availability against Portland.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Upgraded to questionable
Rotowire
Wagner (oblique) has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday's game against the Trail Blazers.
Sidelined since Dec. 6 due to a torn right oblique, Wagner appears to be on the cusp of returning to Orlando's lineup. The Magic have the star forward listed as questionable due to return-to-play conditioning, so if he doesn't play Thursday, he would appear to have a good chance of returning Saturday against the Pistons. If Wagner remains out against Portland, Tristan da Silva would likely continue starting for the Magic.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Could return next week
Rotowire
Wagner (oblique) has been cleared to resume taking contact, and the Magic are hopeful that he'll be ready to make his return to game action in 7-to-10 days, Cassidy Hubbarth of ESPN reports.
Wagner has been sidelined since Dec. 6 with a right oblique tear but recently entered the reconditioning phase of his rehab program. Given his lengthy layoff, Wagner needs time to ramp up before getting the green light to play in games, but he appears on track to gain clearance as soon as next weekend. Once he's officially cleared to play, Wagner will likely be under a light minutes restriction for at least a few games, as has been the case for teammate Paolo Banchero since he returned to action Jan. 10 after a lengthy absence due to the same injury.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Getting closer to return
Rotowire
Wagner (oblique), who will miss Wednesday's game against the Bucks, is expected to return once he gets his conditioning up to par, Mason Williams of Sports Illustrated reports.
Wagner will no longer show up on the injury report with an oblique injury, and instead, he'll be sporting a "return to competition reconditioning" designation. This is a small positive step in the right direction for Orlando's star forward. A return Friday against Boston has not been ruled out, though Jan. 19 against Denver in Orlando would be a more likely target.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Not taking contact yet
Rotowire
Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said Wednesday that Wagner (oblique) hasn't yet been cleared for contact, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports. "He's feeling better. Just form shooting more than anything," Mosley said, when asked about what kind of on-court work Wagner has been doing. "No contact at all. No conditioning pieces yet."
After he was diagnosed Dec. 7 with a right oblique tear, Wagner was scheduled to be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks. A month has since passed, but Wagner doesn't appear especially close to making his return to action, given that he's not even taking part in non-contact portions of practice. The Magic are expected to get star forward Paolo Banchero (oblique) back later this week from a long-term hiatus of his own, but Wagner's continued absence should continue to free up a starting role for rookie Tristan da Silva.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Suffers torn right oblique
Rotowire
Wagner (oblique) tore his right oblique during Friday's 102-94 loss to the 76ers and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Wagner had carried the Magic over the last month following Paolo Banchero's own torn right oblique injury, with the former averaging 26.1 points, 6.3 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals over 34.9 minutes since and including Nov. 1. Wagner will be re-evaluated in mid-January, but he is considered out indefinitely. With the Magic without their two young stars in Wagner and Banchero, they will turn to Jalen Suggs, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tristan da Silva, and Cole Anthony to take on bigger roles in the short term, though Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.com reports that Banchero is progressing well and is aiming to resume activities in late December.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Hits for 30 again in Friday's loss
Rotowire
Wagner chipped in 30 points (10-23 FG, 3-12 3Pt, 7-7 FT), five rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal across 38 minutes during Friday's 102-94 loss to Philadelphia.
The fourth-year forward led all scorers on the night, but Wagner didn't get enough help from his teammates -- Jalen Suggs was the only other Orlando player to top 12 points. Wagner has scored 30-plus points in three straight games, and he's hit for at least 20 in nine straight contests, averaging 28.1 points, 6.8 assists, 5.7 boards, 2.1 threes, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks over the latter stretch.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Leads all scorers with 35 points
Rotowire
Wagner notched 35 points (12-23 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 10-10 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and one block across 36 minutes during Wednesday's 106-102 victory over the 76ers.
Wagner led all scorers with 35 points in Wednesday's tight win, continuing to shoulder the load on offense for the Magic in the extended absence of star forward Paolo Banchero (oblique). Over his last 18 games, Wagner is averaging a robust 25.3 points, 6.6 assists, 5.9 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 2.0 three-pointers in 34.7 minutes per contest. The 23-year-old star forward should continue to operate as Orlando's go-to scoring threat and primary playmaker while Banchero remains off the court, and despite Wagner's surge in usage, his shooting efficiency hasn't taken much of a hit as some fantasy managers may have anticipated.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Leads Orlando in loss Tuesday
Rotowire
Wagner had 30 points (10-22 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 9-9 FT), three rebounds, six assists and three steals over 39 minutes during Tuesday's 121-106 loss to the Knicks.
Wagner was the only Magic player who cleared the 20-point plateau in this devastating loss to New York, and the fourth-year forward continues to build on what has been a career-best season for him. Wagner is averaging a career-high 23.7 points per game, and while his numbers are likely to regress a bit once Paolo Banchero (oblique) is back in the lineup, Wagner has proven he can handle being the No. 1 option. The 23-year-old has scored at least 30 points in five of his last 10 appearances.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Versatile showing in victory
Rotowire
Wagner posted 20 points (4-17 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 12-14 FT), nine rebounds, eight assists and two blocks in 38 minutes during Sunday's 100-92 victory over the Nets.
Wagner did it all for Orlando on Sunday like we've seen many times this season, leading the team in scoring and assists while finishing one rebound shy of a double-double in a well-balanced performance. Wagner, who also recorded a team-high-tying pair of blocks, struggled a bit from the field, but he still managed to tally his 17th outing with at least 20 points.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Elite production continues
Rotowire
Wagner ended with 29 points (12-20 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, eight assists, one block and two steals across 35 minutes during Friday's 123-100 victory over the Nets.
Wagner continues to play the best basketball of his young career, leading the Magic to their 11th win in the past 12 games. With Paolo Banchero continuing to miss time due to an oblique injury, Wagner has put the team on his back. Over the past month, he is averaging 24.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.9 steals and 2.1 three-pointers in 33.5 minutes per game. Until Banchero is ready to go, Wagner should continue to serve as the primary option, a role he has seemingly embraced.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Fills stat sheet Monday
Rotowire
Wagner closed Monday's 95-84 win over the Hornets with 21 points (8-17 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 3-6 FT), one rebound, seven assists, two blocks and four steals in 40 minutes.
The Magic defeated the Hornets in one of the lowest-scoring games of the current 2024-25 NBA season. Still, Wagner found a way to stuff the stat sheet and carry a depleted Orlando team to the finish line while being employed in a point-forward role due to their lack of depth in the backcourt. Expect Wagner to continue to enjoy an uptick in his usage rate as long as the Magic remain this depleted.
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Magic's Franz Wagner: Pours in 32 points
Rotowire
Wagner amassed 32 points (12-24 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 4-5 FT), five rebounds and eight assists across 39 minutes during Monday's 109-99 win over the Suns.
Wagner followed up a 31-point outing against Philadelphia with another strong total against the depleted Suns, who are now 1-5 without Kevin Durant (calf). It's a nice statement road win for the 9-6 Magic, who are off to a great start thanks to big totals from Wagner. Through 15 games, he's averaged 22.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.4 steals.
