By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Historical dominance at Scotiabank Arena as the Toronto Raptors routed the Orlando Magic 139-87, behind an unprecedented 31-0 scoring run. While the scoreboard favored the North, much of the conversation centered on the health of Magic cornerstone Franz Wagner.
The 24-year-old German forward is currently sidelined with a left high ankle sprain, traveled with the team but remained off the court during pre-game warmups. Despite his absence, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley offered an optimistic update, noting that the German star has increased his contact work this week. “He’s been responding very well to what we’ve been going through,” the 47-year-old play-caller shared, though Wagner’s return date remains cautious as the team manages his recovery.
On the court, European talent dictated the tempo. Serbian head coach Darko Rajakovic saw his Raptors jump to 42-32 in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season and tighten their grip on the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed, fueled by a standout performance from Georgian big man Sandro Mamukelashvili, who dropped 19 points off the bench. Austrian starting center Jakob Poeltl threw in 11 points and seven rebounds.
For the Magic, the European connection struggled to stem the tide. German starter Tristan da Silva managed 12 points, while German Moritz Wagner, Georgian Goga Bitadze, and French Noah Penda found seven, six, and three points, respectively, off the bench.
As Toronto sits four games from home-court advantage in the opening round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, presented by Google, and one game over the Play-In zone, Orlando is now distanced 2.5 games from a direct playoff berth.
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