Paolo Banchero’s return from a 10-game absence gave the Orlando Magic a needed boost, but it was Franz Wagner who carried the scoring load in a narrow 106–105 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. After the victory, Wagner outlined how the Magic adjusted to having their All-Star forward back in the lineup and the gradual shift that comes with reintegrating a primary offensive presence.
Wagner delivered a standout performance, finishing with a game-high 32 points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal on 12-for-22 shooting, including 4-for-9 from three, in 34 minutes. He said Banchero’s return required an early rhythm adjustment but praised the way the 23-year-old handled his first game action since Nov. 12.
“I think he played great. Obviously being 10 games out gotta find your rhythm a little bit but I liked the way he played, you know, within the flow of our offense and also just making plays defensively,” Wagner said. “I think it always takes a couple of minutes in games to get back into the swing of things so excited for him to see that.”
Franz Wagner says Magic kept their flow while easing Paolo Banchero back into the lineup
Banchero, who missed time due to a left groin strain suffered against the New York Knicks, logged nine points, six rebounds and two assists while shooting 3-for-8 from the field in 20 minutes. His scoring was limited, but his movement, defensive activity and comfort within the offense stood out to Wagner and the coaching staff.
Wagner explained that the Magic aimed to maintain the identity they developed during Banchero’s absence, emphasizing flow and decisiveness.
“I think we did a good job with that today,” Wagner said. “I think we establish how we wanna play it as a unit and I think if everybody’s committed to that, I think the ball will find who it should find and obviously it’s gonna be Paolo a lot of the times too. So I think just continue with what we’ve been doing, keep communicating out there and as Paolo gets a couple more games under his belt, I think we’ll look great as a team.”
Jamahl Mosley stresses patience as Magic adjust Banchero’s return against Heat
Head coach Jamahl Mosley echoed that perspective, crediting Banchero for finding ways to contribute despite limited minutes.
“Honestly, I thought he was great because he was just trying to find the rhythm, trying to find a way to stay within the flow of the game, making the simple play, making the easy read,” Mosley said. “Defensively moving and sliding his feet. I think those are key pieces as he continues to get back is going to be important. He just let the game come to him and just made his way through. I thought he was great for that.”
Mosley acknowledged that the full adjustment will take time, particularly against a defensive unit like Miami’s.
“Well, it’s going to take some time,” he said. “There’s going to be a flow that you have to try to connect with, but I think they did a really good job finding different sets, different reads. Miami is a tough team – how they guard, how they defend, they put you in different binds so I think our guys did a great job of adjusting to that, no matter who was on the floor.”
With the win, Orlando improved to 14–9 and moved into the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Magic will travel to New York to face the Knicks (15–7) on Sunday at noon before returning home Tuesday for a rematch with the Heat in the NBA Cup quarterfinals at 6 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
