“It’s very simple, Franz hits the important things,” said teammate Goga Bitadze during half-time. Seconds earlier, the younger of the Berlin Wagner brothers had given the Magic their first lead by 16 points with a three-pointer. And Orlando didn’t give it up anymore either. As was the case throughout the winning streak, the Magic shone in Arizona with their strong defense, which kept their opponents under the 100-point mark for the seventh time in a row.
Wagner is at “all-star level,” said Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley after the game: “It’s great that he is being rewarded for what he does, who he is and how he works.” That he is being recognized for his achievements in Last week’s award was “super cool,” said Wagner: “Of course I’m happy about it. But hopefully we can continue like this as a collective. It’s not about one player, it takes all five.”
Brother Moritz contributed nine points and six rebounds, and German rookie Tristan da Silva also delivered a decent performance (three points). The top scorer for the Suns, who were still without their injured superstar Kevin Durant, was point guard Tyus Jones with 18 points. With nine wins and six defeats, Orlando is in third place in the East behind the still unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers and champion Boston Celtics, while Phoenix is fifth in the competitive West. The German trio continues on Wednesday with the home game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
