Basketball in the NBA: For the injured Moritz Wagner: Orlando defeats Boston

The Orlando Magic players dedicated this victory to their injured teammate Moritz Wagner. After the 108:104 (43:58) win over the Boston Celtics in the NBA, Cole Anthony shouted in a TV interview, “This one is for Mo Wagner,” and he and his teammates formed a heart with their hands into the camera. Wagner tore a cruciate ligament in his left knee in the previous game against the Miami Heat and will not play again this season.

Before Moritz (27), his younger brother Franz Wagner (23) was also injured and tore his pectoral muscle. The two basketball world champions had had a strong season up to that point: Franz Wagner scored 24.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists on average in his first 25 appearances and, despite his injury, can expect a chance of making it to the NBA All- Star Game to be nominated. Moritz Wagner averaged 12.9 points in 18.8 minutes and was considered a candidate for the NBA’s best bench player award.

Da Silva with the decisive throw

Even without the Wagner brothers, a German player was a guarantee of success for Orlando’s surprise win against defending NBA champion Boston: Tristan da Silva hit the decisive three-pointer nine seconds before the end of the game and became Orlando’s top scorer with 18 points. “He wasn’t afraid to take that shot,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said of da Silva. “He carries himself very maturely and has a high basketball IQ.” With their 19th win in their 31st game of the season, the Magic remain in fourth place in the East.

Schröder inconspicuously, Hartenstein wins again

For Dennis Schröder, however, it was his second defeat in his third appearance with the Golden State Warriors after his trade. The team from San Francisco lost at home against the Indiana Pacers with 105:111 (54:62). Schröder scored 78 seconds before the end of the game to make it 104:106, but with 16 seconds on the clock the Warriors conceded the game-winning three-pointer. With nine points and three assists, the playmaker acted rather inconspicuously; Schröder only scored single digits in all three games for the Warriors.

The Oklahoma City Thunder around Isaiah Hartenstein, on the other hand, are unstoppable: The Western Conference leaders won 123:105 (67:63) against the Washington Wizards and extended their series to eight wins in a row. The Thunder dominated the final quarter with a 32:18 lead. Hartenstein contributed 16 points, eleven rebounds, three assists and two blocks to the success, meaning the center has achieved a double-double in the last four games.

When Luka Doncic returned, the Dallas Mavericks scored a 132:108 (62:53) home win over the Portland Trail Blazers. The superstar scored 27 points after missing the previous two games due to a bruised left heel. Maxi Kleber got three points.