The Magic Insider

'Pretty Bad Sprain': Magic Star Franz Wagner Injures Ankle in Germany Win

Germany gets the win, but it comes at a cost.

Jeremy Brener

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
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ORLANDO - Orlando Magic star Franz Wagner and the German national team advanced to the EuroBasket 2022 quarterfinals Saturday after an 85-79 victory over Montenegro in Berlin.

However, it wasn't all sunshine and butterflies for Wagner, who injured his ankle during the game. He didn't play at all in the fourth quarter, but scored 15 points in 21 minutes of action. He also ended with a team-high +15.

Germany raced out to a big lead in the first half, leading 48-24 going into the locker room. However, once Wagner came out of the game, Montenegro began to rally. The Montenegrins cut the deficit to as few as three points, but point guard Dennis Schroder was able to put out the fire and lead Germany to victory.

Schroder led Germany with 22 points, while Montenegro's Kendrick Perry had a game-high 25.

For Germany, the win is a relief, but losing Wagner to injury makes the victory a little less sweet.

Germany coach Gordon Herbert said after the game that Wagner had suffered a "pretty bad sprain," leaving his status for their quarterfinal game Tuesday in doubt.

Wagner proved today how important he was for the Germans. When he was in the game, Germany was cruising to an easy win. But when he left, the lead was nearly fumbled away. 

It remains to be seen whether Wagner will prevent risking further injury and sit for the rest of the tournament or if he will try and play through the injury to lead Germany to its first EuroBasket title since 1993.

Germany will play the winner of Greece vs. Czech Republic on Tuesday. 

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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