2026 Playoffs: East First Round | DET (1) vs. ORL (8)
Magic forward Franz Wagner (calf) out against Pistons in Game 5
Magic forward Franz Wagner (right calf) is out of the lineup against the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of their first-round series.
Associated Press | April 29, 2026 | 11:12 PM
Franz Wagner had 19 points in two-plus quarters before he departed late in the third quarter of Game 4 with the injury.
DETROIT (AP) — Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner is out of the lineup with a strained right calf against the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Wednesday night.
“It changes things in a big way,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said.
Wagner had 19 points in two-plus quarters before he departed late in the third quarter of Game 4 with the injury. Orlando went on to beat Detroit 94-88 on Monday night, putting the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded team on the brink of elimination. He averaged nearly 17 points and 5.5 rebounds over the first four games of the series.
The former Michigan star, who is from Germany, was limited to 34 games during the regular season due to injuries and averaged 20.6 points per game.
Wagner was replaced in Game 4 by Jamal Cain, who had a powerful dunk over Jalen Duren early in the fourth quarter and a one-handed tip-in dunk that put the Magic ahead with 4:55 remaining.
“We have to make sure we’re at our best no matter who they put on the floor,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.
Related:
- The Athletic: Jamal Cain pushes team to brink of upset
- Cain, who had the dunk of the playoffs, played a big role in Orlando pushing Detroit to the brink.
- Pistons out of time to dawdle against Magic — Urgency marks Game 5 in the series as the Magic are one win from the semis, while the Pistons hope to simply stay alive.
- Magic's Franz Wagner returns after 20-game absence — The star forward has been out of the Orlando lineup since suffering a torn right oblique on Dec. 6
- Magic's Wagner out indefinitely with ankle injury — Orlando's swingman will be out as he continues to experience soreness in his left ankle, the team announced today.