The Orlando Magic ruled forward Franz Wagner out for Game 6 of their first-round series against the Detroit Pistons with a right calf strain.
Wagner sustained the injury in the second half of Orlando’s 94-88 home win in Game 4. The 24-year-old exited with 19 points, five rebounds, three assists and four steals.
He played just 34 games during the regular season with an ankle sprain and other injuries, but averaged 20.6 points and shot 48.1% from the field.
Eighth-seeded Orlando leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 and returns to the Kia Center for a 7 p.m. tipoff May 1. The Magic has not won a postseason series since sweeping the Atlanta Hawks in the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals.
Since the playoffs expanded to 16 teams in 1984, only six teams with their conference’s No. 8 seed have beaten the conference’s No. 1 seed to advance in the playoffs. The Miami Heat accomplished the feat most recently, in 2023, and carried that momentum all the way to the NBA Finals.
Jonathan Isaac is listed as doubtful for the Magic with a left knee sprain. Detroit tabbed Tobias Harris (sprained left ankle) and Kevin Huerter (strained left adductor) as questionable for the game.
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How to watch Game 6 between Magic and Pistons: Time, TV channel
Game 6 of the Magic-Pistons series will take place Friday, May 1, at Kia Center in Orlando. The game will be broadcast exclusively via streaming on Prime Video. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Orlando Magic’s Franz Wagner ruled out for Game 6 vs. Pistons
Reporting by Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
