Franz Wagner will miss his second straight game for the Orlando Magic in their NBA playoff series versus the Detroit Pistons.
Wagner has been ruled out for Friday’s Game 6 with a calf strain that also sidelined him for Game 5’s 116-109 loss in Detroit, according to the NBA’s injury report. The Magic take a 3-2 series lead in their first-round matchup with the Pistons and can close it out with a win.
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If Detroit was to force a Game 7 for Sunday, it appears unlikely that Wagner would be available for that contest, as well. If Orlando finishes the series, then the question becomes whether or not Wagner can play Game 1 of a second-round matchup.
Without Wagner, the Pistons still had to fight for a seven-point win and needed 45 points from Cade Cunningham. Paolo Banchero made up for Wagner’s absence with 45 points of his own, but Orlando seemingly would have found a way to win with its second-leading scorer in the lineup.
Calf strains are injuries that can linger, and teams tend to take extra caution due to the extra stress they put on Achilles tendons. Wagner’s strain, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, initially wasn’t viewed as significant enough for the Magic to rule him out until medical staff evaluated how he responded to treatment.
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Wagner sustained the injury late in Monday’s Game 4 win over Detroit that gave Orlando a 3-1 series lead. He was considered questionable on Tuesday, but clearly wasn’t ready to go in time in Detroit.
The fifth-year forward left in the second half of Monday’s game with the injury. He spent time on a sideline exercise bike while he was considered questionable to return, but was ultimately limited to 24 minutes. Wagner told reporters after the game he was scheduled to have an MRI on Tuesday. The Magic went on to a 94-88 victory despite his injury.
Wagner has averaged 16.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.8 steals during the first-round series. He’s been instrumental for the eighth-seeded Magic, who are one win away from an upset of the top-seeded Pistons in the first round.
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A high-ankle sprain limited Wagner to 34 games during the regular season. But he averaged 20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game when healthy.
In addition to Wagner being out, Jonathan Isaac (sprained left knee) is listed as questionable for the Magic. Tobias Harris (left ankle sprain) and Kevin Huerter (left adductor strain) are also questionable for the Pistons. Huerter sat out Game 6.
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