The Orlando Magic welcomed the Milwaukee Bucks to Florida for the first of their back-to-back meetings on Tuesday, December 28. The Bucks, who are winners of three straight games, are standing firm in the Eastern Conference as one of the top three seeds.
With Orlando’s numerous injuries piling up, their work was cut out for them from the get-go. Cole Anthony and Mo Bamba remained sidelined for Tuesday’s game, which also saw a total of 10 Magic players inactive.
Recap
From the jump, Milwaukee got off to an early lead and did not relinquish control for the rest of the night. The Bucks ended the first half with 72 points and led by 27 at the break. Outscoring the Bucks 37-25 in the third quarter, Orlando made a valiant comeback effort in the second half, but it was too little, too late. The final score favored the visiting Bucks, 127-110.
Despite the loss, the star of the night came from the Magic’s sideline. Franz Wagner exploded for 38 points and seven rebounds in 38 minutes of game time. Wagner’s 38 points are now the single game-high in points by a rookie this season. It’s also Wagner’s 8th 20-point game, the most by any rookie this season. Wagner is also the first Magic rookie with a 30-point game on 50/50/100% shooting since Dennis Scott in 1990.
Wendell Carter Jr. also provided a punch for the Magic, who only have six of their regular rotation players active. Carter Jr. ended with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bucks continued firing on all cylinders on Tuesday night. Giannis Antetokounmpo (28 points), Khris Middleton (21 points), Jrue Holiday (18 points, 10 assists), and Bobby Portis (19 points) led the way for the defending champs. In Milwaukee’s fourth straight win, the Bucks shot over 55% from the field and drained 17 triples on the night.
Up Next
These teams will lace up and play each other at the same time and in the same arena on Thursday, December 30. In the Magic’s final game before 2022, Orlando will hope for a better result against the defending champions.
(Featured image by Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)