Franz Wagner ties career high with 38 as Magic hand Jazz their 10th straight loss
Franz Wagner kept the Orlando Magic's road trip from ending in disappointment. The German forward matched his career high with 38 points as Orlando pulled away late to beat the Utah Jazz 123-108 at the Delta Center on Wednesday night.
A shorthanded finish
Orlando played on the second night of a back-to-back and without Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs, Tristan da Silva, Jamal Cain, Noah Penda and Jonathan Isaac, according to the team's recap on NBA.com. Utah was missing Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen and Jusuf Nurkic.
The Magic still made 10 of their final 16 shots, Sports Illustrated's Magic site reported. Desmond Bane scored 11 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, and Jevon Carter was plus-24 off the bench.
Wagner's hot streak
Wagner also went 3 of 8 from three-point range and 9 of 10 from the line, with eight rebounds. His previous 38-point games came against Milwaukee on Dec. 28, 2021, and Detroit on Feb. 4, 2024, NBA.com said.
The last time he scored 30 or more in three consecutive games was December 2024.
I think it was the way they were defending the pick-and-roll. We got into the paint a bunch of times. I was just trying to make the right play.
| Player | Team | Points | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franz Wagner | Magic | 38 | 13 of 23 FG, 8 reb |
| Desmond Bane | Magic | 25 | 11 in the fourth |
| Anthony Black | Magic | 22 | 8 assists |
| Darryn Peterson | Jazz | 22 | Utah's top scorer |
Source: Orlando Magic / NBA.com; Sports Illustrated (Magic On SI).
Utah's three-point barrage falls short
The Jazz took 44 of their 81 shots from three-point range, SI reported, a heavy share for a team that entered the game 22nd in the league in three-point attempt rate. Brice Sensabaugh added 19 points and Ace Bailey 18.
Orlando coach Sean Sweeney pointed to ball security and offensive rebounding. The Magic committed 13 turnovers and scored 28 second-chance points.
Next up
The Magic, winners of two straight, return home to host the Milwaukee Bucks in an NBA Cup game on Friday. Utah's losing streak reached double figures.