Magic’s Franz Wagner uncertain to play Game 5 vs. Pistons

TL;DR

Franz Wagner's status for Game 5 against the Pistons is uncertain due to a right calf strain. He exited Game 4 with soreness and is considered questionable to play.

Key points

Franz Wagner's status for Game 5 is uncertain.
He suffered a right calf strain in Game 4.
Wagner recorded 19 points before exiting the game.
Orlando Magic leads the series 3-1 against the Pistons.
The Magic are on the verge of advancing in the playoffs.

Franz WagnerOrlando MagicDetroit PistonsNBA playoffs

ORLANDO, Fla. — Franz Wagner‘s status for Wednesday’s Game 5 against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons is uncertain after the Orlando Magic forward exited Monday’s Game 4 late in the third quarter and did not return due to right calf soreness.

An MRI on Tuesday showed that Wagner suffered a right calf strain, and he’s considered questionable to play at Detroit. His availability for Wednesday will depend on how he responds to treatment, the team said.

Wagner recorded 19 points, five rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes before he exited the contest that Orlando won 94-88 to take a 3-1 series lead in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Wagner was 8 years old the last time the Magic won a playoff series, 16 years ago. His teammate Wendell Carter Jr. was in the fifth grade with dreams of one day becoming an airline pilot.

Fast-forward to this week and the pair of teammates, alongside Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs, are part of a Magic starting five that has put Orlando on the verge of advancing out of the first round for the first time since 2010.

“It’s a sigh of relief, but you never want to look at it that way,” Carter said about the 3-1 series lead after the six-point win. “It’s the first to four. That’s what our mindset is. We don’t care about what happened. It’s about the next game.”

Just how difficult will it be for the Magic to secure a fourth win over the Pistons to reach the Eastern Conference semifinals?

“As difficult as the other ones,” Wagner said. “Obviously they’re going to play with a sense of desperation especially on their homecourt. We’ve just got to have the same mentality as we did (Monday night), take the fight to them and play one play at a time.”

Wagner, who previously missed 48 regular-season contests due to a left high ankle sprain, said after the game he felt his right calf tighten up on him some before he went to the locker room.

“It obviously sucks to come out of the game,” he said. “The most important thing is that we got the win and we’ll figure out the rest (Tuesday).”