'Fourth Quarter Franz' Wagner Leads Magic to Win vs. Bulls

Franz Wagner continued his hot streak in the Orlando Magic's win against the Chicago Bulls.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 11, 2024

In this story:

ORLANDO - Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner has been playing on another level as of late.

Wagner has scored 30 or more points in each of the Magic's wins this week, including 36 on Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls. Out of those 36 points, 14 came in the fourth quarter, where the Magic overcame a deficit to push the game to overtime.

Franz Wagner Bulls — Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

“I think I got a couple of solid looks off the pick-and-roll and then after that, I just tried to make the right play," Wagner said postgame. "I knew that they would be a little bit more aggressive, but I think in general, I think we did a good job of moving the ball and just finding different stuff that we liked out there. That’s what it is in these tight games where both teams kind of know what the other team wants to do. Just have to find one or two things. I think we did a pretty solid job with that tonight.”

The Magic are 7-0 when Wagner scores 30 or more this season, which is a sign that he needs to remain a focal point in the offense alongside Paolo Banchero. When both of them are on their game, the Magic have a great chance to win. That's the winning formula brewing down in central Florida, and Wagner is at the forefront of it.

Cole Anthony Key to Victory vs. Bulls

Wagner and the Magic are back on the floor Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Published Feb 11, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.