Magic 'praying,' fear Mo Wagner's injury serious

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Add Moritz Wagner to Orlando's quickly expanding wounded list.

The Magic's backup center, and the older relative of injured guardant Franz Wagner, went down pinch a perchance superior near knee wounded pinch 2:33 near successful the first 4th of Saturday night's crippled against the Miami Heat.

The Magic came backmost to triumph 121-114, but the elation of their comeback was tempered by the imaginable of a agelong absence of a subordinate they see to beryllium a Sixth Man of the Year candidate.

"We're each praying for him. This 1 was for Mo," said halfway Goga Bitadze. "It's really bad to spot 1 of our brothers spell down. Like we've been saying, 'Next man up.' But this feline deserved amended than this."

Magic coach Jamahl Mosely opened his postgame comments pinch an affectional announcement that he could not reply questions astir the 6-foot-11 Wagner. The squad said Wagner will acquisition further information connected Sunday.

Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, Orlando's apical 2 scorers, are retired semipermanent pinch torn obliques. Banchero missed his 25th crippled Saturday nighttime and Franz Wagner missed his 5th game. The Magic besides played Saturday without defender Jalen Suggs, who was a precocious scratch aft injuring his ankle successful a crippled against Oklahoma City connected Thursday night.

Mo Wagner's knee buckled connected a thrust to the basket. He went down and was helped disconnected the level and brought consecutive to the locker room.

He averaged 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds full playing 19.4 minutes per game. He has played successful each 29 Magic games truthful acold this play and missed only 2 games past season.

"I deliberation he was going to beryllium the Sixth Man of the Year. Hopefully he tin travel backmost and prime that up," said Cole Anthony, who led Orlando's large comeback Saturday night.

"I telephone him a one-man army," Bitadze said. "We were each playing for Mo. You look astatine the crazy numbers he's had this season. Sixth man, definitely."