Franz Wagner has been making life without Paolo Banchero a whole lot easier for the Orlando Magic.
Wagner has averaged 27.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 7 assists over the past 10 games and will try to stay in the zone Wednesday night when Orlando collides with the visiting Chicago Bulls.
The Magic have gone 9-1 during Wagner’s stupendous run, most recently beating the Charlotte Hornets 95-84 on Monday night. Wagner put up a team-high 21 points to go with seven assists, but it was the bench that carried Orlando to victory.
Reserves Moritz Wagner (16 points), Cole Anthony (16), Jonathan Isaac (11) and Anthony Black (10) scored in double figures as the second unit accounted for 55.8 percent of the Magic’s points.
Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley hopes his team can continue to thrive in the face of adversity. Banchero hasn’t played since Oct. 30 due to a torn right oblique, and the Magic also were missing Jalen Suggs (hamstring) and Wendell Carter Jr. (foot) on Monday. Guard Gary Harris logged only seven minutes of action before going down with a hamstring injury.
“Gutsy win — gritty and gutsy win,” Mosley said of Monday’s performance. “Bodies down and we didn’t make excuses. This group doesn’t make excuses. That’s the second game where we found a way to win. Guys stepped up, stepped in.”
Suggs and Carter are expected back on Wednesday, but Harris already has been ruled out.
Despite not being nearly as banged-up as Orlando, Chicago hasn’t been able to find a groove, going 5-9 since the start of the month. The Bulls did, however, come away with a win last time out, topping the Washington Wizards 127-108 on Tuesday night.
Coby White was one of seven Bulls scorers in double figures with 21 points. He also had eight rebounds, and Nikola Vucevic, who was with Orlando from 2012-21, chipped in 19 points and 12 boards.
It was an impressive performance for Chicago, but it came against a Washington team that is 2-14 this season. Bulls coach Billy Donovan now wants to see what his group can do against the surging Magic.
“I think you have to play who is in front of you, and you look at it as, âDid we do the things we’ve talked about doing?’” Donovan said. “No question there was growth. Coming out of this game (against Washington), it’s not like, âOh, wow, everything is fixed.’
“My thing is, can we do it (Wednesday) night against a team that’s bigger, stronger, more athletic?”
Like Orlando, Chicago could get some extra help on Wednesday, as guard Lonzo Ball hopes to make his return following a 15-game absence caused by a right wrist injury.
Ball came off the bench in three games earlier this season and averaged 4.7 points.
“In terms of his workout and whatever (the medical team) has to do, as long as there’s no setbacks, there’s a strong possibility he’ll play,” Donovan said. “He has been doing some contact one-on-one, some shooting, catching, shooting off the dribble — he’s doing all that stuff.”