A total of 41 points from Moritz and Franz Wagner helped the Orlando Magic to an unexpected home win over the Chicago Bulls, who were however shorthanded.
Moritz Wagner finished with 23 points in Sunday night’s 114-95 win, while his younger brother Franz recorded 18 points in just their team’s ninth win of the season. “In the last couple of games we had phases where we completely collapsed, especially in the third quarter,” Franz Wagner told Deutsche Presse-Agentur. “Sure, today they also had a run, but right after that we made two threes and a dunk after a counter-attack. I think that’s how you have to react to good actions from the other team and that’s why we won. “
The Bulls are third in the Eastern Conference behind the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat, but had to do without Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball, Javonte Green and Alex Caruso. DeMar DeRozan was the game’s top scorer with 41 points and had a battle of words with Moritz Wagner in between. “He’s not afraid. He gets under other players’ skin and he’s not afraid of what’s going to happen. That changes the momentum,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. Wagner himself wouldn’t comment much on the scene, saying only, “I fouled one and he was mad and that was it. To me, the scene is completely irrelevant. Stuff happens. “
Thanks to Doncic and Porzingis: Dallas back on track
The Dallas Mavericks delivered the eleventh win in the 13th game and thus the right answer to the defeat against Phoenix. In the 104:91 win against the Memphis Grizzlies, Luca Doncic came up trumps once again, the Slovenian contributed 37 points. Kristaps Porzingis also stood out with 15 points and eight rebounds as well as six blocks. Maxi Kleber scored seven points.
Lakers lose to Miami – T-Wolves beat Nets
The L.A. Lakers, meanwhile, conceded another away defeat in Miami (107:113), although LeBron James (33 points) and Co. fought their way back after three weak stretches in the final quarter – but ultimately not decisively.
The Brooklyn Nets, the Heat’s closest rivals in the Eastern Conference, were beaten by the Minnesota Timberwolves. The T-Wolves distributed their points evenly in the 125-136 defeat, with Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards scoring over 20 points and six in double figures. Minnesota thus moved up to seventh place in the West and can dream of the play-offs. For the defensively disappointing Nets, 30 points from Kyrie Irving were not enough.