The Philadelphia 76ers, despite not having the presence of their two superstars, Joel Embiid and Paul George, gave the Orlando Magic a run for their money in their second matchup of the 2024-2025 NBA season.
The Magic are currently on an excruciating 5-game road trip and just came off a terrible loss yesterday against the Knicks. However, they were locked in after visiting the Sixers on Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philly.
Young Studs Duel: Wagner Outplays Maxey
The undermanned Sixers faced the Banchero-less Magic, but it was still an excellent duel between two of the brightest young stars in the league today: Franz Wagner and Tyrese Maxey.
Although Maxey and the rest of the crew tried hard to extend their winning streak to three after a strong first quarter, European star Franz Wagner just couldn’t be contained. The final seconds of the game were crucial, but Orlando ultimately protected their lead to take the road win, 106-102.
Wagner finished with his 7th 30-point game after recording 35 points, 2 assists, and 7 rebounds. The 23-year-old German could potentially have his breakout this season as he has already broken the 20 PPG barrier.
Meanwhile, defensive specialist Jalen Suggs helped with 17 points and 6 assists. Jonathan Isaac, despite playing only 15 minutes due to a cramp, gave 14 points and 4 rebounds.
The Sixers have really struggled to win games this season, but at least fans can still enjoy Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain leading the charge. Maxey finished the game with 16 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds while McCain went up for 24 points, 3 assists, and 7 rebounds. George and Embiid are still out and may miss more games this year due to load management.
The Magic (16-8) are 2-0 against the Sixers (5-15), but they’ll meet for the third time on December 7 still at Philadelphia.
