Magic's Moritz Wagner: Leads bench in scoring vs. 76ers
Rotowire
Wagner provided 17 points (7-7 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal in 18 minutes during Friday's 125-113 loss to Philadelphia.
Wagner has now scored in double digits in two of his last three games. He's averaging 17.7 minutes per game this season, but with Wendell Carter leaving Friday's game due to back spasms, Wagner could see extended playing time in Sunday's regular-season finale against the Bucks.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Close to double-double off bench
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Wagner finished with 12 points (6-10 FG, 0-2 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and one steal across 18 minutes during Friday's 100-97 loss to the Clippers.
Wagner made his presence felt Friday despite logging only 18 minutes, as she showed an efficient touch on offense while ending just one rebound shy of a double-double. Wagner has been one of the most productive players on a per-minute basis of late. He's averaging 8.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.4 steals despite logging just 14.8 minutes per game over his last 10 appearances.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Perfect off bench
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Wagner finished with 14 points (5-5 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and one rebound over 14 minutes during Thursday's 121-106 win over the Pelicans.
Wagner was one of five Magic bench players to finish Thursday's game with a point differential of plus-14 or better. He's only cracked 20 minutes of playing time once in March, but Wagner has been efficient with his touches as of late. He's shooting 64.4 percent from the field while averaging 9.6 points and 3.3 rebounds over 15.1 minutes per game in March.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Puts up 14 points off bench
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Wagner supplied 14 points (6-9 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-1 FT), four rebounds, one assist and one block in 18 minutes during Sunday's 111-96 win over the Raptors.
Wagner has adjusted to a bench role this season, but he's been playing well even under those conditions, as he's been thriving as a second-unit scoring option. However, the lack of consistency remains an issue, as Wagner has now failed to score in double digits in five of his last eight appearances.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Posts double-double off bench
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Wagner recorded 14 points (6-7 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-3 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist and one steal over 26 minutes in Thursday's 115-107 win over Utah.
Wagner led all bench players in Thursday's contest in scoring while hauling in a team-high rebound total and ending as the lone Magic player with a double-double in a winning effort. Wagner has hauled in 10 or more boards in four games this season, ending with a double-double in three of those contests.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Puts up 16 points off bench
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Wagner accumulated 16 points (4-7 FG, 8-9 FT), five rebounds, two assists and one steal over 19 minutes during Tuesday's 108-81 win over the Nets.
Wagner has carved out a consistent bench role this season, and he's making the most of his opportunities as Wendell Carter's primary backup. Known for his scoring prowess, Wagner has been on a roll of late, scoring in double digits in all but one of his last six appearances despite averaging a mere 16.8 minutes per game in that span.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Leading scorer off bench in victory
Rotowire
Wagner ended with 22 points (7-12 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 7-8 FT), seven rebounds and one steal over 25 minutes in Thursday's 116-109 win over Cleveland.
Wagner led all players in Thursday's contest in scoring while playing a bench-leading minutes total en route to the lone 20-point performance in a winning effort. Wagner, who also hauled in a team-high-tying rebound mark, has scored 20 or more points in four games this season, with the most recent such performance before Thursday occurring Jan. 9 against Minnesota. He has now recorded at least 15 points and seven rebounds in seven outings.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Leads bench in assists
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Wagner registered 10 points (5-5 FG), five rebounds and four assists over 20 minutes during Sunday's 111-99 victory over the Pistons.
Wagner led the Magic bench in assists to go along with a handful of rebounds and a bench-high-tying double-digit point total to provide Orlando with a spark on the second unit. Wagner tied a season high in assists, a mark he has posted three times this year. He has now finished in double figures off the bench in six of his last seven outings.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Double-double off bench Sunday
Rotowire
Wagner closed with 16 points (5-13 FG, 6-8 FT), 12 rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 23 minutes during Sunday's 113-98 win over the Suns.
Wagner recorded his first double-double of the season Sunday, and he did it in a tough matchup -- coming off the bench against one of the best teams in the Western Conference and dealing with a physical frontcourt. Wagner continues to find ways to produce off the bench for the Magic, and he has scored in double digits in each of his last three appearances despite not playing more than 23 minutes in each of those contests. He remains a valuable fantasy alternative in deeper formats due to his ability to put up numbers in limited time.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Scores 15 points
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Wagner posted 15 points (4-8 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 6-8 FT), four rebounds and one assist across 18 minutes during Monday's 126-99 loss to Cleveland.
With Wendell Carter recently moving into the starting lineup, Wagner appears to be the preferred center off the bench at the expense of Goga Bitadze. Whether or not this is a permanent change remains to be seen, but Wagner certainly made a strong case Monday evening.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Drops out of rotation
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Wagner (coach's decision) went unused off the bench in Monday's 98-94 win over the Knicks.
With Wendell Carter (knee) logging 19 minutes off the bench behind starting center Goga Bitadze in his return from a five-game absence, the Magic had no room in the rotation for Wagner. Though the Magic had previously opened up minutes for all three big men during a brief stretch in late December when Carter made his return from a fractured finger, Wagner didn't factor into the equation at power forward, with all of those minutes falling to Jonathan Isaac when Paolo Banchero was off the floor. Wagner thus looks as though he'll need an injury to another frontcourt player before he recaptures a role on the second unit.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Productive off bench Friday
Rotowire
Wagner ended with 19 points (7-9 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 5-5 FT), five rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal over 29 minutes during Friday's 99-96 loss to the Heat.
Wagner missed just two shots from the field and was a reliable threat on offense, but he also posted solid numbers in other categories and made his presence felt on both ends of the court. Wagner has settled well into a bench role and is averaging 13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in his last five outings with the second unit.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Leading scorer off bench
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Wagner accumulated 21 points (6-9 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 8-11 FT), eight rebounds, two assists and two steals over 31 minutes during Tuesday's 113-92 loss to the Timberwolves.
Wagner has scored in double digits in four of his last five games and has played 25 or more minutes in his last three appearances. He's had a strong start to the calendar year and has averaged 13.8 points on 55.6 percent shooting, 6.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals over his last five outings.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Back to bench
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Wagner won't start Sunday's game against the Hawks.
With Goga Bitadze (illness) and Wendell Carter (knee) ruled out, Wagner drew a spot start against the Nuggets, posting 19 points (8-14 FG), 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals in 38 minutes. Bitadze is back, so Wagner will move back to the bench, but he should still see significant playing time, as Carter remains out.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Double-double in start
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Wagner totaled 19 points (8-14 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals across 38 minutes during Friday's 122-120 victory over the Nuggets.
Wagner got his first start of the season Friday with Goga Bitadze (illness) and Wendell Carter (knee) ruled out. Wagner took advantage of opportunity to notch his first double-double of the season and the 11th of his career. Wagner is expected to return to a bench role for Sunday's game against the Hawks if Bitadze returns.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Moves into starting five
Rotowire
Wagner will start Friday's game against the Nuggets.
Goga Bitadze is sitting out Friday's game with an illness, and Wendell Carter is sidelined with a knee issue. Wagner will likely need to play a ton of minutes Friday, as the Magic have a lengthy injury report for this game. Wagner will likely be a popular fantasy pickup in the short term and offers plenty of upside.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Crashes boards in victory
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Wagner racked up seven points (2-8 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 11 rebounds, one assist and one block in 18 minutes during Friday's 117-108 win over the Knicks.
Wagner played a modest 18 minutes Friday, but he made his presence felt with a team-leading 11 rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. It was a season-best total on the boards for the big man, who has managed to remain productive despite regularly logging minutes in the high-teens and low-20s. On the season, Wagner is playing just 18.8 minutes per contest, but he's making great use of that time, averaging 11.4 points, 4.4 boards, 1.2 assists and 0.5 three-pointers while shooting a standout 60.0 percent from the field overall.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Busts slump with 21 points
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Wagner racked up 21 points (10-15 FG, 1-4 3Pt), eight rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 27 minutes during Thursday's 118-114 loss to the Bucks.
After recording double-digit points in 10 straight games between Nov. 17 and Dec. 6, Wagner came into Thursday averaging just 6.2 points over his previous five contests. That was partly due to a reduction in playing time, but the big man essentially forced his way onto the court against Milwaukee with an efficient 10-for-15, 21-point effort to lead Orlando's second unit. Meanwhile, Goga Bitadze didn't play at all after working as the team's starting center during Wendell Carter's recent 20-game absence. Carter has started both of the Magic's games since returning Wednesday, so Wagner and Bitadze may ultimately have to split backup minutes, though Thursday's rotation suggests that coach Jamahl Mosley may elect to roll with whoever is exhibiting a hot hand.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Another efficient scoring output
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Wagner scored 11 points (5-7 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-4 FT) and added four rebounds and two steals in 21 minutes during Wednesday's 121-111 loss to the Cavaliers.
Wednesday night was Wagner's 10th straight game scoring at least 10 points, averaging 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.4 blocks over 20.0 minutes in that span. He has had only three games this season in which he hasn't scored in double figures. His presence as a reliable scorer off the bench has been integral to the Magic's success, and his role as that spark plug is likely to remain constant throughout the season.
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Magic's Moritz Wagner: Impressive off bench Friday
Rotowire
Wagner registered 27 points (9-13 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 8-9 FT) and three rebounds across 24 minutes during Friday's 113-96 win over the Celtics.
Wagner delivered a season-high scoring mark, and the big man continues to make an impact off the bench even on games where Wendell Carter (finger) is not available. Wagner has scored in double digits in his last five games and in all but one of his last 13 contests, so his role as a steady contributor for the Magic -- despite his bench role -- is all but settled. He's averaging 13.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in November.
