Without Franz Wagner, who is still ailing, the Orlando Magic have lost again in the NBA and are in danger of slipping out of the playoff places shortly before the end of the main round.
Against the Milwaukee Bucks, who were missing Giannis Antetokounmpo with an injury, Orlando conceded a 99:117 and is now only in fifth place in the tight Eastern Conference. The Wagner brothers’ team has lost three of the last four games. Moritz Wagner scored seven points in Milwaukee. Bobby Portis was the most successful thrower of the evening with 30 points for the Bucks.
The Indiana Pacers as the first pursuer have the same record of 46 wins and 34 defeats. By the end of the main round on Sunday, the Philadelphia 76ers, who currently have a series of six wins, could catch up with the Magic – Orlando has to play in Philadelphia on Friday. It is unclear whether Franz Wagner will be there again. What is certain is that Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss at least the Bucks’ two remaining main round games and will also miss the final duel with Orlando. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to play again after his calf injury at the start of the playoffs.
Dallas and Doncic win again
The Dallas Mavericks are still in top form, taking their 16th win from the last 18 games with a 111:92 win against the Miami Heat and going into the playoffs with huge momentum as winners of the Southwest Division. Luka Doncic scored 25 points and Kyrie Irving scored 25 points for the Texans. Maxi Kleber from Würzburg scored four points and two blocks without missing a throw. The Heat’s defeat also made Isaiah Hartenstein’s New York Knicks’ playoff participation perfect.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Mavericks will face the Los Angeles Clippers, who were defeated 108:124 in a duel with the Phoenix Suns. Thanks to a 23-2 run by the Suns, the Clippers gave up the game in the final quarter. World champion Daniel Theis scored two points in ten minutes. The result sealed the Los Angeles Lakers’ duel against the Golden State Warriors in the play-in.
World champion captain Dennis Schröder and the Brooklyn Nets have had no chance of making the playoffs since last week, but they at least got their sixth win from the last ten games against the Toronto Raptors. In the 106:102 win against his former team, Schröder had 21 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds.
In the top game of the day, the Denver Nuggets won 116:107 against the Minnesota Timberwolves and are once again the sole leaders of the Western Conference. Nikola Jokic had 41 points for the Nuggets.
