Wagners win clearly with Magic against Schröder's Raptors
The brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner have won the world champion duel with their national team captain Dennis Schröder in the NBA and still have a chance of reaching the next round in the league's newly introduced tournament.
The Orlando Magic's 126:107 victory over the Toronto Raptors, which was never in danger, was the second win in the third tournament game for the basketball team from Florida. After two defeats in two games in the so-called in-season tournament, the Raptors no longer have any hope of making it to the finals in Las Vegas.
Schröder had another good game for the Raptors with 24 points and four three-pointers, but was unable to do anything against the cohesive team performance of the hosts. Paolo Banchero was the best scorer of the evening with 25 points for Orlando, Franz Wagner recorded 17 points and his brother Moritz 10.
Lakers are safe in Las Vegas
"It's always great to see them," said Schröder. "Orlando is playing well right now and they're a part of it. We made history together a couple months ago. I'm always happy for my German brothers and I hope they keep it up. They played with a lot of energy and we couldn't keep up with them."
To advance to the knockout round of the tournament, which is being held for the first time, a team must win one of the six groups or secure one of the two wildcards. These go to the two best group runners-up. To keep their chances of reaching the next round, the Magic must defeat the Boston Celtics, who are still unbeaten in the tournament, on Friday. The games also count towards the main round in the league.
The Los Angeles Lakers are certain to be in Las Vegas. The 131:99 win over the Utah Jazz was the fourth victory in the fourth tournament game for the NBA record champions. LeBron James scored 17 points in the first quarter and became the first basketball player in history to break the 39,000-point barrier in the NBA. After a weak start to the season, it was the Lakers' sixth win from their last seven games. The Indiana Pacers also qualified with a 157-152 win against the Atlanta Hawks.
- Despite Dennis Schröder's 24 points and four three-pointers, the Orlando Magic's cohesive team performance led to a 126-107 victory over his former team, the Toronto Raptors, with Franz Wagner contributing 17 points and Moritz Wagner adding 10 points.
- In contrast to the Orlando Magic, the Raptors have little hope of making it to the finals in Las Vegas, having suffered two defeats in their first two games of the in-season tournament.
- Following their national team success, the Wagner brothers continue to shine in the NBA, with Franz currently playing for the Orlando Magic and Moritz previously featuring for the Detroit Pistons and, more recently, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Source: www.dpa.com
