Orlando (dpa) – Thanks to another strong performance from basketball world champion Franz Wagner, the Orlando Magic celebrated their second win in a row in the NBA. The team from Florida easily won their home game against the Washington Wizards with 121:94 and seems to have finally shaken off their recent form crisis with five defeats in a row. Orlando now has five wins and six losses this season.
Franz Wagner, who is under a lot of pressure in the absence of top star Paolo Banchero, who is still injured, was his team’s best scorer with 23 points. Brother Moritz, who initially sat on the bench as usual but is an important part of the rotation, recorded 16 points. German rookie Tristan da Silva was also impressive, scoring eleven points and scoring in double figures for the second time in his young NBA career.
Antetokounmpo and Irving lose despite scoring 43 points each
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks suffered another setback – despite a gala performance from superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks lost to the reigning champions Boston Celtics 107:113, meaning the 2021 champions had to accept their eighth defeat in the tenth game of the season. Antetokounmpo was the game’s standout player with 43 points, his first game with at least 40 points this season.
A 43-point gala wasn’t enough for the Dallas Mavericks to win either. Without Maximilian Kleber, who is still injured, the Texans lost 120:122 to the Denver Nuggets. For Dallas, preseason NBA finalist, Kyrie Irving stood out with 43 points. The Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic scored 24 points, but showed unusual weaknesses when throwing. The Nuggets were once again able to rely on Nikola Jokic. The three-time MVP contributed a triple-double with 37 points, 18 rebounds and 15 assists.
