ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) 鈥� Add Moritz Wagner to Orlando鈥檚 rapidly expanding injury list.
The Magic鈥檚 backup center, and the older brother of injured forward Franz Wagner, went down with a potentially serious left knee injury with 2:33 left in the first quarter of Saturday night鈥檚 game against the Miami Heat.
The Magic but the elation of their comeback was tempered by the prospect of a long absence of a player they consider to be a Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all praying for him. This one was for Mo,鈥� said center Goga Bitadze. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really bad to see one of our brothers go down. Like we鈥檝e been saying, 鈥楴ext man up,鈥� But this guy deserved better than this.鈥�
Magic coach Jamahl Mosely opened his postgame comments with an emotional announcement that he could not answer questions about the 6-foot-11 Wagner. The team said Wagner will undergo further evaluation on Sunday.
Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, Orlando鈥檚 top two scorers, are out long-term with torn obliques. Banchero missed his 25th game Saturday night and Franz Wagner missed his fifth game. The Magic also played Saturday without guard Jalen Suggs, who was a late scratch after injuring his ankle in a game against Oklahoma City on Thursday night.
Mo Wagner鈥檚 knee buckled on a drive to the basket. He went down and was helped off the floor and brought straight to the locker room.
He averaged 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds whole playing 19.4 minutes per game. He has played in all 29 Magic games so far this season and missed only two games last season.
鈥淚 think he was going to be the Sixth Man of the Year. Hopefully he can come back and pick that up,鈥� said Cole Anthony, who led Orlando鈥檚 big comeback Saturday night.
"I call him a one-man army,鈥� Bitadze said. 鈥淲e were all playing for Mo. You look at the crazy numbers he鈥檚 had this season. Sixth man, definitely.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Dick Scanlon, The Associated Press
