Great show by the NBA rookie
Wagner dunks the Warriors
03/23/2022 11:56 am
Led by Franz Wagner, the Orlando Magic celebrate an impressive last-minute win over Golden State. The Berlin rookie sealed the Warriors’ defeat with three converted free throws and a dunk in the final seconds of the game.
As Franz Wagner spoke about his heroic deeds at the microphone, his brother Moritz came running and pulled the sweaty towel over the head of the Orlando Magic match winner. Teammate Cole Anthony also crashed the interview. “Franz can play, man”, he “saw it first hand today”. Wagner was also happy: “It feels great,” said the NBA professional after his brilliant performance at 94:90 against the Golden State Warriors, the 20-year-old set another highlight in his rookie season.
With impressive nerves of steel, the younger of the two Berlin brothers secured victory for the team from the US state of Florida in the hot final phase. With 13.2 seconds left, Wagner certainly sunk three free throws after being fouled by Klay Thompson in a three-pointer. Shortly thereafter, he made the final score by dunking. “You have to be ready for the moment. And I also appreciate these moments. Pressure is always a privilege,” Wagner said of the difficult situation on the free-throw line: “It’s a mental thing. I try to stay as calm as possible and she to get in. I’ve been working on it a lot.”
Wagner is having a strong debut season. Against the former series champion from San Francisco, who again had to do without star player Steph Curry due to injury, the forward scored 18 points and three assists in around 30 minutes – the former professional from Alba Berlin has collected an average of 15.4 points this season. However, Orlando has long been out of the playoff race, losing 53 of 73 games. The championship round was never the goal for the rebuilding club anyway. “It’s not about victories and defeats,” emphasized Wagner: “It’s about getting better every day.”
Mo Wagner, who contributed seven points, four rebounds and an assist in 15 minutes, is four years older than his brother and in his fourth year in the NBA, Franz is playing the “super-long” season with 82 games for the first time. In doing so, he experienced “many ups and downs,” says Wagner, sometimes it’s “mentally a roller coaster ride.” That’s why attitude is “just as important as physical fitness. Of course you have good days and bad days.” It was undoubtedly a good one against the Warriors.