Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Only O’Neal and Scott got better
Rookie Wagner amazes the NBA
His NBA career has only just begun, but Franz Wagner is already drawing lasting attention in the basketball league. In the game of his Orlando Magic against the Bucks, he achieved a new record. But he is still not satisfied after the game.
The German basketball shooting star Franz Wagner caused a sensation in the US professional league NBA. The 20-year-old from the Orlando Magic set in the 110: 127 defeat against the Milwaukee Bucks with 38 points, the best value of his young career so far. No NBA rookie has scored more points this season.
Wagner’s previous career high had been 28 points. In the history of the franchise, only the exceptional talent Dennis Scott (40 points) and Shaquille O’Neal (46) scored more points than rookies. The small forward, which was drafted in eighth place this year, also impressed in front of 16,696 spectators at the Amway Center in Orlando in other statistics: seven rebounds (six on the defensive), a 100 percent free throw rate (ten out of ten), three assists plus one steal and one block each.
“It’s cool that I had a good game. But I wanted to win,” said the Berliner, not entirely satisfied. Wagner was also reluctant to accept the personal congratulations from Bucks-Center DeMarcus Cousins. “He congratulated me on the game,” reported Wagner: “I said: Thank you, that’s definitely a cool gesture. But I would have preferred to win the game.”
Wagner was particularly hot in the third and fourth quarters, but it wasn’t enough for victory. Also because Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who returned from the Covid-19 protocol at Christmas, was successful with 28 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Wagner’s older brother Moritz got seven points. With just seven wins from 35 games, Orlando ranks next to last in the Eastern Conference.