Franz Wagner has proven to be unstoppable in the first two meetings against the Brooklyn Nets and is helping the Orlando Magic withstand the absence of Paolo Banchero. Wagner aims to deliver another big performance on Sunday afternoon when the Magic visit the Nets, looking to extend their winning streak to six games. Wagner has been instrumental in helping the Magic outscore the Nets by 38 points in their first two matchups this season. He scored 29 points in Orlando’s 116-101 home win on October 25 and matched that output in Friday’s 123-100 victory, where the Magic outscored Brooklyn 75-54 over the final 27 minutes. In the first meeting, Wagner scored 17 points in the second half, and on Friday, he had 21 points by halftime before finishing with a 12-for-20 showing from the field, marking the ninth time this season he has shot at least 50 percent.Wagner is averaging a career-high 23.6 points, with his scoring average increasing each season since Orlando selected him eighth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. After averaging 15.2 points as a rookie, he improved to 18.6 in the 2022-23 season and 19.7 last season, contributing to Orlando’s 47-win campaign.The Magic are also 11-5 since losing Banchero to an oblique injury, with Wagner averaging 25.4 points on 46.6 percent shooting in those games. Wagner has scored 25 points or more eight times during Orlando’s current 11-1 surge, including a 37-point effort against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 21. Brooklyn is 3-10 against Eastern Conference opponents so far and has struggled with ball handling against the Magic, who scored 59 points off 39 turnovers in their first two encounters. The Nets returned home from a 3-1 road trip that included wins over the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, and Golden State Warriors but suffered their second-most lopsided loss under first-year coach Jordi Fernandez against the Magic on Friday. The Nets tied their season high for turnovers (20) and attempted a season-low 29 three-pointers, though they made 14. Brooklyn also received 58 points from its reserves, as its starting lineup was missing Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle), Dennis Schroder (personal), and Cam Thomas (hamstring). The absences forced the Nets to use a different starting lineup for the sixth straight game, with the group of Wilson, Cameron Johnson, Ziaire Williams, Tyrese Martin, and Ben Simmons combining for 42 points.
