The Orlando Magic will look to move above .500 for the first time since winning their season opener when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday in an NBA Cup game.
The Magic defeated the Sunshine State-rival Miami Heat to open the season before losing each of their next four games. Orlando has rebounded from that skid by winning five of its last seven games to even its record at 6-6.
Sporting a clear mask to provide protection for his broken nose, Franz Wagner collected 28 points and nine rebounds in the Magic’s 124-107 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
The injury did not prevent Wagner from attacking the rim, leading to a 6-for-8 effort from the free-throw line.
“We know that about Franz,” Desmond Bane said, per the Orlando Sentinel. “He’s himself rain or shine. It doesn’t matter, he’s going to do what he does.”
Six players finished in double figures for the Magic, who played the majority of the game without Paolo Banchero. The star spent a considerable part of his 23rd birthday off the court after sustaining a left groin strain in the second quarter. He was ruled out for the game at halftime.
An MRI on Thursday confirmed a left groin strain and Banchero was ruled out of Friday’s game. He is considered day-to-day moving forward.
“There was a moment he was going up and down the court, it was a quick turn and then I just saw him pause for a second,” Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said. “I looked at him just to try to see where he was with it and then I got him out of there before anything changed.”
Jonathan Isaac started the third quarter in place of Banchero, who missed 36 games last season due to a torn right oblique.
Banchero boasts team-best averages in points (23.3) and rebounds (9.1) this season.
The Magic are 1-0 in Group B play in the NBA Cup after posting a 123-110 victory over the Boston Celtics last Friday.
Brooklyn lost its lone NBA Cup game thus far, a 125-107 setback to the Detroit Pistons last Friday. That began a current three-game losing streak for the Nets, who have dropped 10 of their first 11 games to start the season.
Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton each scored 21 points and Noah Clowney added 18 in Brooklyn’s 119-109 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.
Rookie guard Ego Demin, the eighth overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, gave beleaguered Nets fans a ray of light by collecting 16 points, five assists and four rebounds and just one turnover in 28 minutes.
“I know some people around here were asking me questions about (Demin), and now you guys have seen it,” Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernandez said. “You guys have seen now he can pass the ball, he can get into the paint, he can shoot the 3s. So, all those things we want to keep seeing, and there’s not a better way to do it with him than more minutes.”
Porter leads the Nets in points (23.1) and rebounds (7.4), while Claxton averages a team-best 3.7 assists and 1.1 blocks per game.
–Field Level Media
