Franz Wagner excelled against the Milwaukee Bucks on the final day of the regular season with 25 points.
The basketball world champions Franz and Moritz Wagner from the Orlando Magic are in the play-offs of the North American professional basketball league NBA for the first time in their careers. Thanks to a strong defensive performance in the 113:88 win against the Milwaukee Bucks, who played without their injured superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, Orlando ended the regular season with a 47:35 record in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. In the event of a defeat, falling to a play-in position would also have been possible. The Cleveland Cavaliers are now waiting in the first play-off round.
Franz Wagner, who made his comeback after an ankle injury on Saturday night, contributed significantly to the success and his first play-off participation with 25 points. “It’s super special and we’re going to enjoy it together,” he said. It is also the first postseason for Moritz Wagner, who came to the NBA in 2018, three years before his brother, and who scored ten points on Sunday.
The New York Knicks with Isaiah Hartenstein (eight points, 13 rebounds), who had already qualified for the postseason, defeated the Chicago Bulls 120:119 after overtime – and climbed to second place in the East. The Knicks’ opponent in the first round is the winner of the play-in duel between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat.
In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder secured first place with a 135:86 win against the Dallas Mavericks, who rested Luka Doncic and Maxi Kleber, among others. It was already clear before the game that the Mavs would play their series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Daniel Theis’ team (16 points, ten rebounds) lost 105:116 to the Houston Rockets.
Defending champion Denver won against the Memphis Grizzlies 126:111 and, like OKC, finished the season with a 57:25 record. Due to the direct comparison, two-time MVP Nikola Jokic’s team has to settle for second place.
The big winners in the West were the Phoenix Suns, who jumped to sixth place thanks to a 125:106 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves and escaped the play-in tournament. They also ensured that the Wolves slipped to third place – and thus also met the Suns around Kevin Durant and Co. in the first play-off round.
National team captain Dennis Schröder from the Brooklyn Nets, who had already been eliminated from the play-in race, did not play for the 76ers (86:107). The Atlanta Hawks didn’t take the end of the season too seriously either and lost 115:157 to the Indiana Pacers.
The play-in tournament will take place from April 16th to 19th, with the play-offs starting on April 20th.
The pairings in the Eastern Conference at a glance:
Play-in-Turnier: Philadelphia 76ers (7) – Miami Heat (8), Chicago Bulls (9) – Atlanta Hawks (10)
1st play-off round: Cleveland Cavaliers (4) – Orlando Magic (5), Milwaukee Bucks (3) – Indiana Pacers (6), the Boston Celtics (1) and New York Knicks (2) are waiting for their opponents the play-in tournament.
Western Conference:
Play-in-Turnier: New Orleans Pelicans (7) – Los Angeles Lakers (8), Sacramento Kings (9) – Golden State Warriors (10)
1st play-off round: Minnesota Timberwolves (3) – Phoenix Suns (6), Los Angeles Clippers (4) – Dallas Mavericks (5), the Oklahoma City Thunder (1) and Denver Nuggets (2/defending champions) are waiting their opponent from the play-in tournament.
2024-04-15 01:49:06
#NBA #Wagner #brothers #playoffs #time
