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The Orlando Magic (23-23) welcomed forward Franz Wagner back to the lineup Thursday night after a 20-game absence, but his return was overshadowed by a 101-79 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers (16-28). The defeat extended the Magic's losing streak to five games and added to their struggles in the Eastern Conference standings.
Wagner, who had been sidelined since suffering a torn oblique on Dec. 15 during a 102-94 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, finished with 20 points, four rebounds, and an assist in 24 minutes. While he admitted it would take time to find his rhythm again, Wagner reflected positively on returning to the court.
“Obviously, it was really cool to play again,” Wagner said. “I was pretty nervous before the game, and it was a long time for me out, but I felt decent within the game. It’s going to take me a little bit to hopefully get back into a rhythm, but it was fun to be back out there.”
Before his injury, Wagner was having a career-best season, averaging 24.4 points, 5.7 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 46.5% from the field across 25 games. However, his return couldn’t halt Orlando’s recent offensive struggles.
Magic’s offensive struggles and turnovers fuel loss to Trail Blazers
The Magic shot just 34.2% from the field and 24% from beyond the arc while committing 22 turnovers that led to 22 points for the Trail Blazers. Wagner acknowledged the team’s current slump and emphasized the importance of staying united.
“Yeah, we’re struggling right now,” Wagner said. “We’ve got to understand, we’ve got to stick together. It’s part of a long season; we go through ups and downs. It’s going to take everyone and us staying together to get out of it. Like I said, we have a bunch of games left. So, it’s no reason to hang our heads, but we’ve got to get better.”
Head coach Jamahl Mosley echoed Wagner’s sentiments while addressing the challenges of reintegrating players into the lineup and maintaining rhythm.
“As you bring guys back and guys are in and out of the lineup, it changes the dynamics of rhythm and roles,” Mosley said. “You’re trying to preserve guys and not burn [them] out, minutes restrictions — those are all things, right. Those are realities. And we said that there were going to be bumps in the road, we were highly aware of that.
“Now, that is not an excuse for our spirit not being right and our energy not being right from the beginning of the game,” he added. “Again, it cannot be based on shots going in or out, because lately they have not been going in. So, you shoot six-for-25 from three, that leads to a lot of long rebounds to get out in transition, so you’re putting your effort [in] to get back in transition. Then when you do get the stops, you end up getting 22 turnovers for 22 points. Those are situations that we’re going to have to clean up.”
Franz Wagner, Tristan Da Silva stress unity amid ongoing struggles
Rookie forward Tristan Da Silva, who contributed 16 points, five rebounds, and two assists off the bench, also pointed to the challenges posed by Orlando’s injury woes.
“Having Franz back definitely helps in directing the floor,” Da Silva said. “He makes it easier with his ability to attack mismatches. But we just gotta stick together and figure something out.”
Wagner shared additional thoughts on the team’s need to overcome adversity.
“It’s gonna take everyone,” Wagner said. “We gotta stick together. Also, not making excuses — no one is feeling sorry for us, and if any one of us is, then we gotta stop that right now because it’s gonna snowball if that’s the case. Ups and downs are parts of the season, and they are opportunities to grow as well. I think this is a good chance for us to do that.”
Despite Franz Wagner’s strong return, the Magic’s offensive struggles and defensive lapses were evident. Portland outscored Orlando 58-30 in the paint, and the Magic shot 67.7% from the free throw line. Mosley emphasized the importance of moving past these issues as the team prepares for their next game.
“We’ll watch this entire thing tomorrow to understand exactly where we need to improve, communicate at a high level what needs to be done, and how we can approach it better as we look forward to Detroit on Saturday,” Mosley said.
The Orlando Magic will aim to snap their five-game skid on Saturday night against the Detroit Pistons (23-21) at the KIA Center. Detroit has surged in recent weeks, winning 14 of its last 20 games after a 9-15 start. Orlando will need to regroup quickly, with a six-game road trip beginning Monday against the Miami Heat (21-22).
