Phoenix (dpa) – The Orlando Magic continue to go from success to success in the North American professional basketball league NBA. Led by Franz Wagner, who was once again strong, the team from Florida celebrated their sixth win in a row against the Phoenix Suns with a score of 109:99. World champion Wagner was clearly the best man on the field with 32 points, eight assists and five rebounds, justifying the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award he received shortly before the game.
“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 has been the case throughout their 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.
Franz’s brother Moritz contributed nine points and six rebounds from the bench, and German rookie Tristan da Silva also put in a decent performance. 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.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:241119-930-292735/1
