Enlarge image
Franz Wagner in the game against Minnesota
Photo: Stacy Bengs / dpa
With probably the best performance of his career, Franz Wagner led the Orlando Magic to an away win at the Minnesota Timberwolves in the professional basketball league NBA. The 20-year-old Berliner excelled at 115: 97 on Monday evening. After 28 points and a spectacular dunking, the German received a lot of praise. Wagner was particularly strong in the last quarter when he scored ten points and dunked two opponents with an exclamation point. "I've never dunk like this in my life," he said. "I just tried to jump as high as I could." After four defeats in a row, the success was only the second win of the season for the Orlando Magic.
Dennis Schröder, on the other hand, goes into the duel with the brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner on Wednesday without any success.
Germany's best basketball professional also lost to the Chicago Bulls with the Boston Celtics and is now five defeats in seven games.
Schröder got 13 points and five assists in front of his home crowd.
"This is proof of his high basketball IQ and his knowledge of this game," said coach Jamahl Mosley, praising NBA newcomer Franz Wagner.
“He's a selfless gambler and will always try to make the right decision.
If the defense lures him into the trap, he will play the ball.
He's not a selfish player at all, he wants to move the ball. «One result: the pass to brother Moritz Wagner, who for his part was completely free to dunk.
In the team with his four-year-old brother, Franz Wagner's development is rapid.
Even in the training camp before the season he was hardly noticed by observers, and his statistics did not attract any attention.
But since the start of the season two weeks ago, the 2.08-meter man has felt better in every game.
He scored five threesomes against the Timberwolves.
"Especially for young players like me it is of course a really cool situation to learn how the NBA is played and also to work on my game, but also to collect a lot of minutes and get a lot of chances," said Wagner about the whole thing young team in Orlando.
“I think there is no better way to learn.
I'm very, very grateful for that. "
aha / dpa