Despite another strong Franz Wagner, the Orlando Magic suffered a defeat. The Celtics are just doing their thing and the Timberwolves had a player with over 40 points.
Train to the basket: Franz Wagner puts the ball in.
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National player Franz Wagner could not prevent a defeat of Orlando Magic despite his next convincing performance. 20 points and four rebounds from the 21-year-old Berliner were not enough for the Florida team in a duel with the Washington Wizards to take something countable with them. Orlando lost 118:138.
The Magic’s top scorer was Markelle Fultz with 23 points, Moritz Wagner contributed four points in around eight minutes of play. Orlando needs to step up to have any chance of making a playoff in the Eastern Conference.
35th win for Boston – Toronto’s bench disappointed
The Boston Celtics, meanwhile, continue to do their thing and once again underlined their top position in the Eastern Conference. The 106:104 against Toronto already meant the 35th win of the season. Without top star Jayson Tatum, it was his congenial partner Jaylen Brown who became his team’s top scorer with 27 points. He received plenty of support from the bench, with Grand Williams (25 points) and Malcolm Brogdon (23) totaling 48 points.
Speaking of banks. This was exactly the Raptors’ problem. Because while the starting five around Pascal Siakam (29 points) delivered reliably, almost nothing came from the second row. Players coming off the bench contributed only 14 points.
Edwards scores 44 points
What else was going on? The Milwaukee Bucks suffered a 102-114 loss in Cleveland without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Evan Mobley carried the Cavs with a whopping 38 points. Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards even surpassed this mark, his 44 points in the 113:104 against Houston was a season best.
