Orlando snap 14-game losing streak to Milwaukee in 4 years, 9 months

The Orlando Magic have snapped a 14-game losing streak to the Milwaukee Bucks due to stellar performances by the Wagner Brothers.

Orlando defeated Milwaukee 112-97 on Sunday in a home game of the 2023-2024 National Basketball Association (NBA) season. The win also snapped its long-lasting losing streak to Milwaukee. Orlando had lost 14 straight to Milwaukee in the regular season from November 2, 2019, to March 8 of this year. It has been four years and nine months since Orlando last won a game against Milwaukee with a 103-83 victory on February 10, 2019.

The Wagner brothers combined for 43 points, led by 2022 NBA Draft No. 1 pick Paolo Banquero's double-double of 26 points and 12 rebounds. Younger brother Franz Wagner (22), a starting forward, added 24 points, six rebounds, and three assists, while older brother Moritz Wagner (26) came off the bench to add 19 points, four rebounds, and one assist.

Milwaukee is a strong team with 58 wins and 24 losses in the regular season last season, which is the only team in the Eastern Conference with a winning percentage above .707. At the time, Orlando had 34 wins and 48 losses and finished 13th in the Eastern, failing to advance to the postseason. On Sunday, however, the Orlando Magic took the lead at the 9:32 mark of the first quarter, never trailed, and displayed dominance to secure the win.

It was Orlando's first win over Milwaukee since the Wagner brothers began playing together. The older brother, Moritz, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 25th overall pick in 2018, has been with the team since April 2021, and the younger brother, Franz, was drafted by Orlando with the eighth overall pick in 2021. In the brothers' first game together in Milwaukee (December 29, 2021), Franz scored 38 points and seven rebounds, but the team lost 110-127. The brothers lost five games to Milwaukee from that point on before celebrating a win for the first time on Sunday.


leper@donga.com