3. Franz Wagner
Every big star in the NBA needs a co-star. For Paolo Banchero, that co-star is Franz Wagner. Most of us already knew this before but the playoffs have only proven it further. Without Wagner, the Magic would not have come as far as they have, and he stepped up once again with the team’s season on the line.
Despite not shooting well from three, Wagner finished the game with 26 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal. That scoring output made him and Banchero the youngest duo in league history to each score at least 25 points in an elimination game, according to StatMamba on X.
The Cavaliers have a pair of talented scorers in Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, who combined for 71 points last night, but Wagner and Banchero have shown that they can hang with them.
As mentioned, Wagner’s outside shot was not falling, but he put pressure on the defense, getting to the line 11 times and making every single shot. On the other end of the floor, he was solid as well, not leaving the Magic’s identity as a two-way team behind.
Wagner is a future All-Star in this league—he has proven that much already. Now, he has also proven that he can put up big numbers when his team needs it most, and that should be encouraging for Game 7 on Sunday.