Magic SF Franz Wagner Praises Bench After Win vs. Knicks: 'They've Been Huge All Year!'

The Orlando Magic's bench has been key to their first half success.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 15, 2024

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic are back on top after a 118-100 win against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night inside the Kia Center.

While Paolo Banchero led all scorers with 36 points, it was the Magic bench that got Orlando back into the game after a difficult first quarter. Franz Wagner starts for the Magic, but usually is the first one to come out of the game in order for him to get some run with the bench unit, whom he praised following Wednesday's win.

Franz Wagner Jalen Brunson Knicks — Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

“Our second line-up has done that all year," Wagner said. "I think it starts defensively with the rest of the team. I think they got stops, got out and [ran], got some easy ones, and just got a rhythm. Yeah, they’ve been huge all year.”

Wagner led the Magic with a +25 in the plus/minus category, while his brother Moe was a +24 in just 13 minutes. A 17-3 run to start the second quarter gave the Magic the lead for good in their win against the Knicks.

Their performance last night reflects how they have one of the best bench units in the NBA. They rank fourth in scoring off the bench with 41.5 points per game. Only the Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors score more points from players that don't start the game.

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If the Magic want to return to the playoffs and make some noise, their bench has to continue the strong play they displayed in the first half of the season.

Published Feb 15, 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.