“Mentally it was difficult. It was an emotional week, but that shouldn’t be an excuse. I’m happy that I was able to make some important plays at the end and that one went in,” he said at the press conference.
In total, he ended up with 18 points, 13 of which he scored in the final quarter, hitting three of his four three-point attempts, but only six of 16 shots. The long pause was still clearly noticeable.
His brother Moritz didn’t even see the start of the game on the bench, but was only seen after a few minutes with a thick ice bandage on his knee. The 28-year-old only celebrated his comeback on Sunday evening after being out for over a year with a torn cruciate ligament.
But the moment of shock was only brief: Moritz Wagner did some stabilization exercises next to the bench and came into the game in the middle of the first quarter to the loud cheers of the fans. However, the game got off to a very bad start for him with a three-point attempt that was too short and a loss of the ball. At the beginning of the second quarter he scored three points, but there were still some coordination problems with his colleagues on defense.
However, he played a large part in the Magic’s strong third quarter. He converted his shot attempt on offense and in return gave Memphis’ best player, Jaren Jackson Jr., an offensive foul.
He remained on the bench in the decisive phase of the game. In total, he was on the field for 14 minutes, hit two of two free throws and scored seven points. “I still can’t believe it, you are the best. To see this here today, we are incredibly grateful,” said Moritz Wagner, visibly emotional, addressing the fans immediately after the game.
The special significance of the game was also reflected in the fact that the German went straight to his parents and grandmother on the sidelines. He hugged her long and very warmly.
