The Orlando Magic, led by their guard Franz Wagner, who scored 31 points, defeated the Washington Wizards 139-120 on Wednesday night in the NBA and continue their unbeaten streak.
- The great eight for the Magic. Orlando won its eighth consecutive game against the Wizards, rising to the second place in the Eastern Conference with Milwaukee, who did not play on Thursday. Both teams have the same number of wins (13) and losses (5). If Magic defeats the Wizards again on Saturday, they will equal their longest winning streak with nine straight victories.
- First for Wagner: German Franz Wagner, crowned world champion with the “Mannschaft” in September, scored over 30 points against the Wizards for the first time in his NBA career at the age of 22. “We’re having a lot of fun, and we would like it to continue,” he said after the Florida franchise’s latest victory.
- End of the streak for Philadelphia. While Orlando continued its winning streak, the Philadelphia 76ers, who were also on a seven-game winning streak before Wednesday night, saw it come to an end. Illness-stricken Cameroonian Joel Embiid, the team’s main contributor and the NBA’s leading scorer this season with an average of 32 points per game, was sorely missed by last season’s conference semifinalist, beaten in Louisiana by the New Orleans 124-114.
- 33: like the number of points scored by the leader of the Pelicans, Zion Williamson, who had a complete game with eight rebounds, six assists, three blocks, and an impressive efficiency (11 shots out of 12 at two points, 91.7% success rate).
- Triple-double for Jokic: in Denver, the Nuggets’ playmaker, Nikola Jokic, double MVP (2021, 2022), scored 32 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds, greatly contributing to the reigning NBA champions’ victory against the Houston Rockets 134-124.
- Denver invincible at home: the Denver Nuggets recorded their ninth home win of the season against the Rockets, with zero losses, solidifying their second place in the Western Conference.
- Pistons in a dry spell. The Detroit Pistons are in distress. Facing their visitors, the Los Angeles Lakers, who won convincingly 133-107, they suffered their 15th consecutive defeat and are last in the Eastern Conference with only two wins in 18 games.
- 40: is the highest point total of the night, scored by De’Aaron Fox. His performance did not prevent his team, the Sacramento Kings, from losing at home to the LA Clippers, 131-117.
© Agence France-Presse
