NBA brothers: “Incredible” – Wagner raves about Wagner
Basketball world champion Franz Wagner has one of his biggest fans in his own family – even if his brother Moritz Wagner added a wink to his praise after the gala in the NBA playoffs.
“I have to go home with him right away, so I’m holding back, I don’t want to exaggerate,” said the elder Wagner after the Orlando Magic’s 112:89 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers: “But that was one of the best games, that I have ever seen of him.”
Franz Wagner (22) had his strongest game in the series so far against the Cavaliers, scoring 34 points and 13 rebounds. In the end there was a clear victory and thus the 2:2 equalizer in the best-of-seven series. “He is unbelievable. His overview, his control over the game, his energy. He distributed the ball and closed things down defensively,” said Moritz Wagner.
The 27-year-old also contributed his part to the victory, having seven points, four rebounds and two assists. Both Wagners are playing in the play-offs of the strongest league in the world for the first time. The series continues with game five in Cleveland on Tuesday evening (local time), after which Orlando has home advantage again. A possible game seven would take place at the Cavaliers’ facility on May 5th.
Mavericks avert elimination against Nuggets
The Los Angeles Lakers prevented a quick exit against defending champion Denver Nuggets in the first play-off round of the North American professional basketball league NBA. The Lakers won game four of the series on Saturday (local time) 119:108 (61:48). It was the Lakers’ first win against the Nuggets after eleven defeats in a row. Among other things, they lost all four games in the play-off semi-finals last year.
LeBron James scored 30 points, Anthony Davis had 25 points and 23 rebounds for the Lakers, who, unlike the first three games of the series, did not lose their lead this time. Austin Reaves scored the last six of his 21 points in the final minute when the Nuggets had cut the gap to seven points. Nikola Jokic scored 33 points and 14 assists and rebounds for the champions.
The Orlando Magic evened their play-off series against the Cleveland Cavaliers thanks to their two German world champions Franz and Moritz Wagner. The team from Florida managed a 112:89 (51:60) in the fourth duel of the best-of-seven series. With 34 points, Franz Wagner was the hosts’ best player and thrower, and he also grabbed 13 rebounds. Brother Moritz scored seven points and four rebounds in around 15 minutes of playing time. A huge improvement after the break was crucial; Orlando only allowed Cleveland 29 points in the second half.
The top seeded teams in the East and West have only played three games. The Boston Celtics won 104:84 at the Miami Heat and took the lead again in their series. The Oklahoma City Thunder also won the third game of their series at the New Orleans Pelicans 106:85.
Islanders and Lightning avoid NHL playoff exit
The New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning prevented a quick exit in the play-offs of the North American professional ice hockey league NHL. The Islanders won the fourth game of their best-of-seven series against the Carolina Hurricanes after two overtimes on Saturday (local time). Mathew Barzal scored the 3-2 winning goal in the 82nd minute of the game. The Islanders shortened the first-round series to 1:3.
The Tampa Bay Lightning achieved the same thing with a 6-3 win against the Florida Panthers. Steven Stamkos and Brandon Hagel scored twice for the 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup winners.
Meanwhile, defending champion Vegas Golden Knights suffered their first defeat in this year’s play-offs. The team from Las Vegas lost to the Dallas Stars 2:3 after overtime and now only leads 2:1 in their series. The Golden Knights were only the eighth-seeded team in the play-offs of the Western Conference, but thanks to a personnel tweak they have a significantly strengthened squad at the start that was not allowed to play together in the regular season because of the salary cap in force there.
The Boston Bruins took a 3-1 lead in their series with a 3-1 road win at the Toronto Maple Leafs. Brad Marchand scored his 56th playoff goal for the Bruins, setting a club record. In Toronto, top scorer Auston Matthews had to leave the game after two thirds.
2024-04-28 07:26:32
#Hes #incredible #Wagner #raves #Wagner
