Franz Wagner exited the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with an apparent left leg injury, grabbing his knee after making a stop on a fastbreak. He later returned to the court in the same game after first going back to the bench in the third quarter and pedaling on the stationary bike.
The severity of the injury was not known, and it could range from a minor knock on the knee or a bone bruise to something more structural. For Wagner, it was his fourth game back after missing several months with a high ankle sprain, and he had already played against the Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans before facing Minnesota. He also sat out against the Detroit Pistons on the second night of a back-to-back.
Wagner played in his 32nd game against the Timberwolves, another step in a ramp-up that had been underway as he worked back from the ankle injury. Orlando has played most of the season without him, and the offense can bog down when Wagner is not available to slash to the rim and create for others.
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What happens next is the question that will matter most for Orlando: whether this was only a scare or another setback for one of its most important players. The answer will shape how quickly the Magic can count on Wagner again, and whether his recent return is truly holding.
