Franz Wagner scored 21 of his 23 points in a dominant fourth quarter to carry the Orlando Magic to a 111-102 comeback victory over the reigning champion New York Knicks on the road, antenneduesseldorf.de reported. The German national team forward added 13 rebounds and nine assists, narrowly missing a triple-double as Orlando erased a halftime deficit to secure their first victory of the NBA season.
Fourth-Quarter Surge Overcomes Deficit
Trailing 52-48 at intermission, the Magic relied on an explosive 40-point final period to flip the contest at Madison Square Garden. Once he established an offensive rhythm, however, attacking the basket yielded immediate dividends.
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I am happy I stayed aggressive,
Wagner said of his late-game performance. In the first three quarters, I still made bad decisions. When you get into a rhythm, everything seems a bit easier.
Orlando head coach Sean Sweeney pointed to that exact shift in mentality as the catalyst for the comeback. Sweeney credited Wagner for his relentless pressure on the defense and his willingness to attack the paint when the game tightened.
Supporting Cast Steps Up Without Banchero
The Magic secured the road win despite playing without co-star Paolo Banchero. Banchero is expected to miss several weeks due to a sprained ankle, forcing teammates to shoulder heavier scoring loads. Tristan da Silva filled part of that void by contributing 19 points, connecting on five shots from beyond the arc to help space the floor against the Knicks.
While Franz Wagner engineered the late-game turnaround, his older brother Moritz Wagner experienced a contrasting night with the Brooklyn Nets. Moritz Wagner tallied 13 points in 15 minutes of action off the bench—marking a season-high for him—but the Nets dropped to 0-3 following a 136-109 blowout loss to the Indiana Pacers after fading in the second half.
League-Wide German Performances and Standings
Elsewhere around the league, center Isaiah Hartenstein continued an unbeaten start with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Hartenstein posted his best performance of the young season with 12 points and 12 rebounds as the Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 108-101 to improve to 3-0.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers suffered their first defeat of the campaign, falling 106-93 to the Detroit Pistons. LeBron James returned to the floor for his squad after missing a game with back stiffness, contributing 18 points in the losing effort.
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