Paolo Banchero paced Orlando with 26 points and 13 rebounds, and Franz Wagner marked his return with 18 points and nine boards as the Magic pulled away late to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 118-111 on Thursday in the NBA’s first regular-season game played in Germany.
Wagner, back after missing more than a month with a high ankle sprain, made the comeback even more special by playing in his native country and sharing the floor with his brother, Moritz Wagner, for the first time in over a year. Moritz, who tore his left ACL last December and returned earlier this week, contributed seven points in 14 minutes.
Anthony Black added 21 points for Orlando, which has won three of its last four games.
Memphis was led by Jaren Jackson Jr.’s 30 points, with Santi Aldama scoring 18 and Cedric Coward adding 17. The Grizzlies, playing without Ja Morant (right calf), have dropped seven of their last nine. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said there is optimism Morant could return Sunday when the teams meet again in London.
The Grizzlies controlled much of the first half, building a 52-32 lead midway through the second quarter. Orlando trimmed the deficit to nine by halftime, then seized momentum with a 13-0 run late in the third to take an 84-73 lead.
Memphis answered down the stretch, grabbing a 105-102 advantage on GG Jackson’s layup with 4:05 remaining. Franz Wagner responded with a tying 3-pointer and helped close it out by scoring five points in the final 1:39 as the Magic finished strong.
The game marked another milestone in the NBA’s global growth. The league previously played its first preseason game in then–West Germany in 1984, when there were just 10 international players on rosters. This season opened with a record 135 international players, including 71 from Europe. The NBA said fans from 62 countries purchased tickets for Thursday’s game, with more than 250,000 people registering in hopes of attending.
Up next:
Orlando and Memphis now head to London for the second game of their international series.
