Franz Wagner totaled 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists while enduring a rough shooting performance Sunday as the Orlando Magic ran their winning streak to six games with a choppy 100-92 victory over the host Brooklyn Nets.
Orlando won for the 12th time in 13 games and beat the Nets for the third time this season in a game that saw the teams combine for 60 personal fouls.
After scoring 29 for the second time against the Nets this season on Friday, Wagner shot 4 of 17 from the field but also made 12 of 14 free throws, including two after taking a shot across the face from Nic Claxton that resulted in the Brooklyn center’s ejection with 18 seconds left.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 16 points, including the tiebreaking 3 that started Orlando’s game-ending 17-9 finish.
Wendell Carter Jr. contributed 14 for the Magic, who shot 45.9 percent (34 of 74) and survived missing 21 of 28 3-point tries. Moritz Wagner and Jalen Suggs added 12 apiece while Goga Bitadze contributed 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Cameron Johnson led the Nets with 25 points but appeared to tweak his ankle or hamstring in the final minute. Brooklyn also lost Ben Simmons to a bruised left knee. Dennis Schroder added 20 but was 6 of 19 as the Nets shot 38 percent (30 of 79) and missed 23 of 31 3-point tries, including 11 straight at one point.
Neither team led by more than five and the opening half featured 14 lead changes and 11 ties as the teams were tied at 50 by intermission. Caldwell-Pope hit a triple and another basket on consecutive possessions to give Orlando a 69-59 lead with 4:05 remaining in the third, and the Magic took a 75-69 lead into the fourth.
The Nets recovered from the earlier 10-point deficit by using a 20-9 run to get a 79-78 lead on Schroder’s 3-pointer with 9:48 left in the fourth. Caldwell-Pope hit a left corner 3 to snap an 83-all tie with 6:22 left and Bitadze’s dunk a little over four minutes later pushed the lead to 96-86 and helped clinch the win.
–Field Level Media