basketball
NBA: Wagner brothers narrowly lose to Sacramento
Moritz Wagner (l) tries to steal the ball from Alex Lenvon of the Sacramento Kings. photo
© Kevin Kolczynski/AP/dpa
The Orlando Magic lose again for the first time in five games, but like the New York Knicks they remain on course for the playoffs. Things are looking increasingly worse for Dennis Schröder and the Brooklyn Nets.
The Orlando Magic are in the North American Basketball League NBA suffered a narrow home defeat. The team led by the German world champion brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner lost to the Sacramento Kings 107:109 (56:54).
Franz Wagner had 18 points and four assists. Moritz Wagner recorded four points and five rebounds. Sacramento turned the back-and-forth game around in the final seconds, with Orlando’s top scorer Paolo Banchero ultimately missing the three-pointer for a possible victory. For the Magic it was the first defeat after five wins in a row, but the team is clearly on course for the playoffs and has secured at least a place in the qualifying tournament.
Schröder with weak ratings
In the Eastern Conference table, Isaiah Hartenstein’s New York Knicks overtook them, winning confidently against the Brooklyn Nets 105:93. Hartenstein was back in the starting lineup and recorded strong 17 points and nine rebounds as well as four ball wins. Dennis Schröder had a mixed game for Brooklyn, scoring nine points and seven rebounds with a poor shooting percentage.
It was the sixth defeat in a row for Brooklyn. With eleven games remaining, they would have to win five more games than the Atlanta Hawks in order to reach the play-in tournament in tenth place.
In the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets could do this. The Texans achieved their eighth win in a row against the Utah Jazz with a clear 147:119. The Rockets are now just one win behind the Golden State Warriors.
The Portland Trail Blazers chose a remarkable formation against champions Denver Nuggets. The injury-plagued Trail Blazers, who can no longer qualify for the playoffs, started the game with a narrow 111:114 with five professionals in their first NBA year. According to the NBA, this was only the second time the league has tracked starting lineups since the 1971-72 season.