All 76ers

Orlando Magic Take Major Injury Hit After Loss vs Philadelphia 76ers

The Orlando Magic lost another star player against the Sixers on Friday.
Justin Grasso|
Dec 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) drives to shoot against Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr (9) in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Dec 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) drives to shoot against Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr (9) in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

In this story:

Philadelphia 76ersOrlando Magic

The Orlando Magic are running into another tough obstacle. After a two-game series against the Philadelphia 76ers, the team found out its rising star player Franz Wagner is dealing with a concerning injury.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Magic announced that Wager suffered a torn right oblique during the meeting with the Sixers at the Wells Fargo Center on Friday.

As of now, Wagner’s been ruled out “indefinitely.” They will determine a specific timeline later depending on how Wagner “responds to treatment,” according to Charania.

On Wednesday, the Magic paid a visit to the Sixers for the first of two matchups this week. Wagner had a standout performance, checking in for 36 minutes and posting 35 points on 12-23 shooting. He led the way for Orlando as they snapped the Sixers’ two-game winning streak with a 106-102 victory.

When the Sixers and the Magic met on Friday, Wagner once again led his team in scoring. The veteran forward’s struggles from three continued, as he made just three of his 12 attempts. By making ten of his 23 shots, Wagner scored points. He tacked on five rebounds and five assists.

On Friday, the Sixers got their revenge. They controlled the game throughout the entirety of the matchup and managed to keep the Magic from heating up and totally cutting into their lead. In the end, the Sixers defeated Wagner and the Magic 102-94.

Wagner becomes the second Magic player to deal with that injury this season. Earlier this year, Orlando’s All-Star Paolo Banchero suffered the same setback. He’s still in recovery and hoping to work his way back onto the floor soon.

The last time Banchero took the court was on October 30. Since then, he’s missed the Magic’s last 20 games. In Banchero’s absence, the Magic have done well—but Wagner was a major part in keeping Orlando within the Eastern Conference’s early playoff picture.

Banchero should be back soon, but for the time being, the Magic are facing a tough challenge.

Published
Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

Share on XFollow @JGrasso_
Home/News