Some of us suspected last night would bring Orlando Magic’s first win. And we weren’t far wrong.
Despite missing the injured Paolo Banchero, the Magic prevailed at Madison Square Garden, securing a 111-102 victory over the New York Knicks.
Franz Wagner capped off a sensational performance by scoring 21 of his 23 points in the final quarter alone.
The German also contributed 13 rebounds (an NBA career high) and 9 assists, shooting 9-for-23 from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.
“It’s been a great moment for all of us,” Franz Wagner acknowledged.
“Obviously they are the defending champions and they came in with the same mindset as us, which was to get the first win. So it feels really good to have achieved it,” he explained.
Anthony Black, making his return to action, added 18 points and 5 assists off the bench, while Desmond Bane contributed 22 points, shooting 4-for-9 from three-point range.
Led by Wagner, the visitors overwhelmed the Knicks in the final quarter, outscoring them 40-27.
Head coach Sean Sweeney claimed his first NBA win as a head coach, improving his record to 1-2, while the Knicks remain winless this season at 0-3.
Jalen Brunson led New York with 28 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, supported by Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby, who scored 22 points each.
The Knicks are the first defending NBA champions to start a new season 0-3 since the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011-12 campaign.
(Cover photo: Reuters)