Pacers Injury Report: Magic Star Ruled Out for Rest of Monday's Game

A key Orlando player will miss most of the second half of Monday's critical contest.

Mar 17, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) celebrates with Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) in the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors at KIA Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images / Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

A key Orlando Magic player will now miss most of the second half of Monday's critical home contest against the Indiana Pacers.

Magic starting small forward Franz Wagner, who has been battling an undisclosed illness, tried valiantly to play through his ailment in the matchup. Unfortunately, per Bally Sports sideline reporter Dante Marchitelli, Wagner has officially been shut down midway through the game's third quarter.

After the Magic built up a 13-point edge early in the third quarter, the Pacers stormed their way back into the ballgame. As of this writing, Indiana leads 87-83. The Pacers have scored 44 points in the post, compared to just 32 for the Magic. The Pacers have outscored the Magic 28-12 in the frame.

He finished the game with seven points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field (1-of-3 from deep), one rebound, one assist and one steal across 10:53. Wagner appears to have taken an offensive leap this season, having finally added a more consistent 3-pointer for the 2-1 Magic. Through three games, the 6-foot-10 Michigan product had been averaging a career-best 25.0 points on .529/.455/.917 shooting splits, 5.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.3 blocks a night. He'll see those numbers (temporarily, one expects) knocked down after Monday night's part-time performance.

All-Star power forward Paolo Banchero currently has a game-high 37 points on 13-of-21 shooting from the floor (3-of-8 from deep) and 8-of-9 shooting from long range. The 6-foot-10 former Dukie, selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, is pretty close to a triple-double already. He's also got nine rebounds, eight assists and a block.

Five Pacers have scored in double figures on the night — all four starters aside from small forward Aaron Nesmith, plus sixth man power forward Obi Toppin. Former two-time All-Star power forward Pascal Siakam leads Indiana with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field (2-of-3 from beyond the arc) and 1-of-1 shooting from the charity stripe, four rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Losing the Magic's second-best player would presumably give the Pacers a bit of an edge, even while playing in Orlando's house. One wonders if Indiana can maintain the momentum it's estabilshed thus far without Wagner in the third frame.

Indiana is currently 1-2 on the season, and looking to capitalize on its surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals as a No. 6 seed last spring.

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