Orlando middle Moritz Wagner will miss the remainder of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, information that involves the injury-plagued Magic a day after pulling off probably the most unlikely wins in franchise historical past.
Wagner underwent an MRI examination on Sunday to substantiate the tear. He will want surgical procedure after which a restoration interval of a number of months.
He was injured Saturday evening in Orlando’s 121-114 win over the Miami Heat, a recreation wherein the Magic rallied from a 22-point deficit to begin the fourth quarter and tied a franchise file by erasing what at one level it was a game-high 25 factors. gap.
It’s the newest and most critical addition to an extended record of serious accidents for the Magic this season. Orlando has been with out All-Star ahead Paolo Banchero the final 25 of his 30 video games due to a torn indirect, and ahead Franz Wagner, Moritz’s brother, somebody who was on observe for a All-Star this season earlier than getting damage – additionally missed the final 5 video games with a torn indirect.
Banchero is near returning. Franz Wagner will most likely miss a minimum of just a few extra weeks. The Magic survived all of it, beginning with an 18-12 run that put them in fourth place within the Eastern Conference.
Moritz Wagner was injured with 2:33 left within the first quarter of Saturday’s recreation in opposition to the Heat on a non-contact play. He dribbled into the lane, tried to cease about 8 ft from the basket and his left knee gave out. He fell instantly, catching the entrance of his knee and writhing for just a few moments.
The Magic ended up trailing by 25 within the second quarter, have been nonetheless down 22 within the fourth and mounted an enormous rally, outscoring Miami 37-8 within the fourth for a 121-114 win. It matched the seventh-largest comeback to begin a fourth quarter in NBA historical past, and it got here with the Magic taking part in with out Banchero, each Wagner brothers, level guard Jalen Suggs (ankle) and reserve guard Gary Harris ( hamstring).
“We talked about ensuring we elevate up our brother Moe Wagner. That was an enormous a part of it,” an emotional Magic coach Jamahl Mosley mentioned after the sport. “But once more, it is a group that retains preventing and retains tearing down. They preserve leaving it doesn’t matter what.”
Moritz Wagner was one in all two gamers — level guard Anthony Black is the opposite — to look in all 30 of Orlando’s video games up to now this season. This season he averaged a career-best 12.9 factors together with 4.9 rebounds in about 19 minutes per recreation.
Moritz Wagner additionally represented Germany within the final two Olympics in Tokyo and Paris and, collectively along with his brother, helped his homeland win the Basketball World Cup in Manila in 2023.
Associated Press reporting.
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