Franz & Magic overcome Knicks, Fall to Celtics: Orlando Magic Weekend Report Card

The Magic split the back-to-back with Franz having a near career night against the Knicks. Here's how the Magic players graded on the weekend slate.

Nov 23, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) defends Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The Orlando Magic split the weekend slate of games, winning against the Knicks, then falling to the Celtics on the second night of a back-to-back. The Magic were hit with the injury bug, with Paolo already missing time. However, in the game against the Celtics, the center lineup of Wendell Carter Jr. & Goga Bitadze both missed the game due to illness. 

After splitting the weekend games 1-1, the Magic sit at the 9th seed, but only 1 game away from 5th place. As the Magic continue to hit their stride, let's take a look at how the players graded on the weekend Magic report card. 

Franz Wagner was 1 point off his career best in points against the Knicks, scoring  37 points on incredibly efficient shooting. Against the Celtics, his night was a little quieter, playing fewer minutes in a game that got out of hand quickly. With the growth of his game and confidence, Wagner is starting to take shape as the leader of this Magic team. With a team as young as the Magic, the more leadership that can be developed internally, the higher the ceiling for this team becomes.

Desmond Bane had a great weekend, putting up 27 points in a winning effort against the Knicks and following that with 18 points against the Celtics. The biggest shift in Bane's game has been his ability to consistently create dribble penetration . This has forced defenders to have to play back, which subsequently unlocked his three-point shot as the season has progressed. 

Jalen Suggs played the first night against the Knicks, but missed the game in a loss against the Celtics. In the win, Suggs played stellar, recording 26 points in what could've been the best collective effort by the team this year thus far. Suggs has incrementally improved his play as he's worked his way through his injury. In the games that he does play, he shows good bounce and lateral movement.

Jett Howard had a career night, scoring 30 points in the game against the Celtics, 22 of them being in the 4th quarter. He had extended minutes due to the combined factors of injuries on the Magic and the large lead the Celtics held throughout the game. His volume from three was encouraging, putting up 13 shots from deep. making 5 of them. Even in a loss, this development could serve to open up more time for Howard.