Wagners turn up the heat
German world champions are making great comebacks
March 7, 2024, 6:49 a.m
The Orlando Magic celebrate a must-win, but the road to get there is rocky. The big comeback is largely made possible by the German world champion Wagner brothers. Daniel Theis can also celebrate after being way behind.
Three German basketball world champions achieved victories with their teams in the NBA after a long deficit. Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner made up 21 points and won against the Washington Wizards 119:109. Daniel Theis was 20 points behind with the Los Angeles Clippers against the Houston Rockets but still managed a 122:116 victory with the title contenders.
Theis was in a supporting role with just nine minutes of playing time and six points, while Kawhi Leonard played the biggest part in the comeback with 28 points. The Wagner brothers, on the other hand, were decisively involved. Franz Wagner scored 28 points, his older brother Moritz scored 16 points and scored 14 of his 16 points with a dunk to make it 102:97, the first five-point lead for either team after more than 14 minutes of back and forth the world champion in the final quarter.
“Franz is on his way to becoming an All-Star”
“It’s a tight-knit group that likes to defend, help each other, play the right way and be there for each other,” said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley. “We talked about that. That was the topic at halftime.” Paulo Branchero, who contributed ten strong assists to the Magic’s comeback, confirmed his coach: “There wasn’t really much to discuss,” said the forward. “There was no reason to talk about any scheme at halftime. It was just about our effort and how hard we wanted to play.”
After the break his team actually turned up the heat: the Magic only allowed 44 points in the second half. The end result was the team’s biggest comeback of the current season. Coach Mosley specifically praised two of his key players: “Paolo is an All-Star, Franz is well on his way to becoming an All-Star,” said Mosley. “The way they release each other and selflessly showcase each other is passed on to the rest of the group.” The last time they caught up with a major deficit was in November 2014: At that time, Orlando gained 23 points in Charlotte.
The Magic have now won eight of their last nine games and are clearly on course for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Things are less exciting for the Wizards: the defeat after a clear lead means the 16th defeat in a row, setting the franchise record.