Magic win clearly against Heat at the start of the NBA
The Orlando Magic around world champions Franz and Moritz Wagner and rookie Tristan Da Silva started the NBA season with a clear win. The team scored 116:97 against the Miami Heat in the Florida duel. A very strong third quarter with 21 points more than the hosts decided the match in favor of the Magic, where Paolo Banchero excelled with 33 points and 11 rebounds. Franz Wagner had 23 points, Moritz Wagner recorded 7 points and 6 rebounds. Da Silva ended up making his NBA debut for the team with playoff aspirations, but missed his only attempt and remained scoreless.
Next, the Magic will face the Brooklyn Nets led by national team captain Dennis Schröder, who themselves suffered an opening defeat. Against the Atlanta Hawks, where Schröder started his NBA career, the score was 116:120. Schröder had 13 points, Cam Thomas had the best score with 36 points, but could not prevent the defeat.
Daniel Theis, however, had a win against the Chicago Bulls in his season debut with the New Orleans Pelicans. At 123:111, Theis scored the first points for his team with a layup and ended up with eight points in 18 minutes on the floor. He caused cheers with two blocks within a few seconds.
Fiebich was still completely confused after winning the title
The big coup was a few days ago, but national basketball player Leonie Fiebich still doesn’t know what happened to her. “I don’t check anything, I don’t know what happened in the last few days. I still have the feeling that I have to play again tomorrow,” said the 24-year-old in the MagentaSport podcast in the basketball section.
Last Sunday, Fiebich won the title in the US women’s league WNBA together with her national team colleague Nyara Sabally and the New York Liberty. She was also named to the All-Rookie team. More is hardly possible.
Nevertheless, the woman from Landsberg initially had big problems. “Here as a rookie and as a European. That’s the worst combination there is.” The referees are “definitely not friends. You get cheap fouls all the time. The trainer doesn’t really trust you yet. There’s just so much uncertainty.”
But she persevered and developed into an indispensable force. Together with the younger of the Sabally sisters, she put her stamp on the fifth and decisive final against the Minnesota Lynx (67:62 after overtime). In overtime, Fiebich initially gave her team a 63:60 lead with a three-pointer, before Sabally made it 65:60 after a steal.
She also had warm words for her German teammate in the podcast: “I can’t express how proud I am of Nyara. She’s been through ups and downs this season, dealing with injuries.” And then she comes off the bench in game five “and just gives energy. She just does Nyara things. She doesn’t think much. She has such great instincts and such a good feel for the game.”
The champion team will be celebrated by fans in a parade through New York on Thursday. The plan is to move from Battery Park along Broadway to City Hall. Afterwards there will be a celebration between the basketball players and the fans at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
