Franz Wagner’s standout performance propelled the Orlando Magic to a thrilling 119-118 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, capping a successful three-game West Coast road trip. Wagner’s heroics, including a game-winning step-back three-pointer near midcourt, secured the victory and, according to StatMamba, placed him in elite company alongside LeBron James as the youngest forward since 2007 to record at least 35 points and 10 assists in a game.
Wagner delivered an incredible stat line against the Lakers, finishing with 37 points, a career-high 11 assists, six rebounds, and four steals while shooting 50% from the field. His performance was a resounding bounce-back after a tough outing in the previous night’s loss to the Clippers.
Franz Wagner reflects on special performance against LeBron James’ Lakers
Reflecting on the decisive final play, Wagner said:
“Obviously, we’re down two… I got lucky with them missing a couple of free throws at the end. We didn’t have any timeouts so at first I had AD on me, then we found a way to switch that matchup a little bit – they were set up pretty well, so I really didn’t see any driving lane and I felt like the one before felt really good. I think in those moments you don’t really think too much, but I guess I made a good call.”
Wagner acknowledged the significance of the shot, adding:
“Probably the biggest shot I’ve made so far… It’s obviously a special feeling – I think the arena, the history of it, obviously of the franchise, obviously the players that play here are legends of our game. So, I think it’s always a special game and you gotta have the right mindset to come in here and get a road win. Like I said, I thought they made great plays – I thought we stuck with it and made some great plays ourselves.”
Wagner has seen significant improvement in his three-point shooting this season, increasing his percentage to 35% after a career-low 28.6% last season. On this progress, he commented:
“A lot of this stuff is mental for us players. So for me to get over that hump a little bit over the summer and carry over into the season means a lot.”
Jalen Suggs, Jamahl Mosley praise Wagner’s game-winning heroics
Magic guard Jalen Suggs, who contributed 23 points, five assists, five rebounds, two steals, and two blocks, played a pivotal role in the game-winning play by setting a pick on Anthony Davis that forced Cam Reddish to switch. Suggs recounted:
“We get him the ball, he’s at the top of the key and I’m looking, we have a guy on each wing. You normally want to cut one out so you have space, wait to drive but it got to the point where I didn’t want to cut and mess up his spacing, so I just stared at him – I said well, you gotta hit it. He got to his bag, stepped back, shot the rainbow and it went in. It’s just crazy, we were joking afterwards how eerily similar it was to last year’s game here – down the stretch, big plays and big plays, then we get a chance to win it. Boogie is special, I ain’t gonna lie, that’s crazy. That’s like a movie moment.”
Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley praised Franz Wagner’s clutch shot, saying:
“I mean it was big time. They missed the free throw, make it a two-point game – he comes down, doesn’t have to rush it, lines it up but it’s like that’s the thing. We work on those spacing situations, those shots, he works on those shots. He’s not afraid of big moments and that’s what we’ve asked him to do. I could not be happier for this team but for him who puts in such an amazing amount of work and to see that fall… I just can’t say enough about this group, can’t say enough about Franz and his work ethic, and this group’s grit that they continue to show.”
Mosley highlight’s Wagner’s growth as Magic prepare for Pistons after stunning Lakers
Mosley also emphasized Wagner’s growth, noting:
“I told him to be uncomfortable, get uncomfortable because he is a young man that wants to do all of the right things: by the game of basketball, by his work ethic, by his professionalism, by the teammate that he is, he wants to do all of the right things and sometimes taking tough shots – it’s not the thing he always wants to do. He just wants to make the right play but sometimes those tough shots are exactly what this team needs and we saw that tonight.”
Franz Wagner discussed his evolving role and development with the Magic, saying:
“Obviously the situation is a special one for everybody on the team with guys being out. I try to do my best to step into that new role and take on the challenge. I think I’ve come a long way since I came into this league. At first I didn’t really play that much pick and roll – my rookie season, got to try out a lot of stuff and was put in some new situations for me too. I was just talking about it, last year at times was a struggle for me so I think progress is never just linear. It’s gonna continue to go up and down and stuff like that. I think it’s just a matter of staying level-headed throughout it.”
Wagner’s performance not only secured a memorable victory for the Magic but also underscored his growth into a key player on a team steadily climbing the Eastern Conference standings. The Magic, now 10-7 on the season, return home to face the Detroit Pistons (7-10) on Saturday, aiming to extend their strong start.
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