LOS ANGELES — The shot is what followers will bear in mind; Franz Wagner known as it the most important of his younger NBA profession.
For the Orlando Magic, nevertheless, the true story is every thing that led as much as the shot.
On Thursday, the Magic’s star ahead completed off top-of-the-line video games by an Orlando participant in current reminiscence — and probably wrote his personal All-Star origin story — with a game-winning 3-pointer over Cam Reddish with 3.1 seconds left, sending the Magic to a 119-118 win over a Lakers group that had received six straight.
FRANZ CALLS GAME@franzboogie https://t.co/KIkC3lwYLt pic.twitter.com/0yat4TOPa1
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 22, 2024
The shot gave him 37 factors on an evening when he additionally had 11 assists, capping the primary 35-point, 10-assist outing by a Magic participant in additional than 20 years.
This wasn’t simply one thing that popped out of the blue, although. Discuss to the Magic about Wagner’s apply habits, work ethic and strategy to the sport, and it turns into clear that no one was shocked by his efficiency … or that he may carry the group to seven wins in its final eight video games throughout star ahead Paolo Banchero’s absence with a torn indirect muscle.
“He’s been doing this for some time,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley stated. “He’s continued to step into that function the place he has to dominate and be the point of interest.”
It’s not like he hasn’t had huge moments earlier than, both. Wagner was a key participant on the Germany group that received the 2023 World Cup, hanging 22 on the U.S. in a semifinal win and 19 within the gold medal recreation in opposition to Serbia. However on an NBA stage, this was his breakout second.
So when Anthony Davis left the door open for the Magic by lacking two free throws with 18 seconds left, Wagner grabbed the ball from Goga Bitadze, and the opposite Orlando gamers bought out of the best way and watched him function, trusting the work he’d carried out to organize for this.
“Individuals speak about good (shot), dangerous (shot), fortunate, unfortunate,” Mosley stated. “He works on that. That’s the factor, he works on these huge photographs, 3 … 2 … 1 … take the shot.”
Wagner wished to get a extra favorable matchup than having Davis’ monstrous presence on him, so he engineered a swap to get Reddish as an alternative — nonetheless an enormous, lengthy defender. He was initially hoping to probe a pathway to the basket to make the most of the long-striding ending expertise which have made him a star, however when he didn’t see a transparent opening he went for Plan B and bought to his stepback going left for the game-winner.
“We had been down two, I bought fortunate with them lacking a few free throws on the finish, and we didn’t have any timeouts,” Wagner stated. “At first I had [Anthony Davis] on me, and located a technique to push that matchup just a little bit. They had been arrange fairly nicely, so I didn’t actually see any driving lane.
“I used to be pondering greatest shot (and never simply shoot the three). I might have taken it to the basket too, however I didn’t see any driving lanes, and I used to be just a little taller than Reddish so I attempted to shoot over him.”
However once more, don’t focus simply on this play and this shot. As an alternative, have a look at every thing that led as much as it, from the work he did in the summertime on this 3-point shot, to the primary half he spent patiently attacking LA’s protection with skip passes to the weak facet, to the end-game conditions he rehearsed in apply. And watch him after the shot went in, too: He fist-bumped his chest however then marched to the bench, chilly as ice, and pointed a single finger to everybody for yet another cease. It was solely after Davis’s final shot went awry that he pumped a fist, chest-bumped Jalen Suggs and Jett Howard, and was shortly mobbed by the remainder of the bench.
The fourth-year ahead often called “Boogie” within the locker room has averaged 27.5 factors, 6.3 assists and 6.0 rebounds throughout his final 10 video games, all of which got here with out Banchero. The 37 factors had been a season excessive and the 11 assists a profession excessive, however he’s threatened these totals a number of occasions previously two weeks — this wasn’t some wild outlier.
The story, then, isn’t that this one shot occurred to catch web. It’s that the 6-foot-10 ahead’s ball expertise developed to the purpose that he principally operates because the group’s level guard, and that his scoring is so potent that everybody within the constructing knew he was getting the ball on the ultimate two possessions (he additionally drove for a layup with 20 seconds left) and he nonetheless scored.
No one understands that greater than his older brother, housemate, carpool associate and Magic teammate, Mo Wagner.
“He did all proper,” the elder Wagner stated. “If he’s not making that shot, I’m kicking his a–.”
He then added extra significantly, “It’s very cool to have a celebrity in your loved ones. It’s superior, the best way he works, how decided he’s, how diligent he’s, how obsessed he’s, it’s unbelievable. The very fact I can have the ability to see it’s superior too.”
And it was maybe becoming that he received the sport on an off-the-dribble 3-pointer, the one ability that gave him probably the most hassle throughout 2023-24 when he slumped to twenty-eight.1 % from distance. That proportion features a game-tying, last-second try on this identical constructing a yr in the past that was blocked by LeBron James.
“Plenty of stuff is psychological too for us gamers,” Franz Wagner stated. “For me to recover from the hump just a little bit over the summer season and carry that into the season means rather a lot.
“I’ve come a great distance since I got here into the league, (however) final yr was at occasions a wrestle for me. Progress is rarely simply linear; you simply gotta keep level-headed.”
After the candy payback of Thursday’s shot, he’s again as much as 34.4 % in 2024-25. And that has come regardless of Banchero’s absence usually leaving him with a more difficult shot combine off the dribble just like the one which beat the Lakers.
“I do work on my off-the-dribble 3 rather a lot, and you’re employed on it for these moments,” he stated. “I simply stepped into it with confidence.”
And after that shot, and Jonathan Isaac’s protection to foil a desperation shot by Davis on the buzzer, the Magic group jumped out on the courtroom to have a good time what could find yourself a defining win for this rising group … in addition to one which helps web Wagner a primary All-Star journey.
“Yeah, Boogie’s particular,” Suggs stated. “That was like a film second.”
“It was a loopy expertise, loopy adrenaline rush” Wagner stated. “It’s nice to see your teammates so pleased for you.”
(Photograph: Ronald Martinez / Getty Photographs)
