Franz Wagner makes guarantee after Magic’s hard-fought playoff loss to Celtics

Orlando’s defensive identity remained a constant throughout the series. During the regular season, Boston averaged 116.3 points per game while making 17.8 three-pointers on 36.8 percent shooting. The Magic held the Celtics to just 106.4 points per game in the series, while limiting their long-range shooting to 11.8 made threes per game, albeit on a slightly more efficient 37.8 percent clip.

Wagner’s performance marked a major turnaround from his 2024 postseason campaign. In last year’s first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he averaged 18.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 40.8 percent from the field and 26.5 percent from three. His struggles culminated in a brutal Game 7, where he shot 1-for-15 from the field and 0-for-5 from beyond the arc.

Against the Celtics this year, Wagner responded with averages of 25.8 points, 5.6 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 44.3 percent overall.

Wagner focuses on next steps after breakout series as Magic aim to build on playoff growth

Speaking after Game 5, Wagner acknowledged his improvement from last year but remained focused on areas for growth — most notably his three-point shooting. He shot just 18.9 percent from beyond the arc in the series.

“I just talked about the three-pointer, something that I definitely need to work on,” Wagner said. “Other than that, I think I improved if you compare it to last year and I think that’s always really cool. It’s a tough league we play in so to see that progress is cool for me, but it’s the same result as last year so hopefully we can get past this round next year.”

Head coach Jamahl Mosley praised Wagner for his development and for stepping up alongside Paolo Banchero in high-pressure situations.

“I mean his ability to take on all challenges guarding team’s best players, being able to score on the offensive side of the ball… just his toughness, his resilience to find ways to get things done no matter the circumstances,” Mosley said.

The Magic concluded the season with a 41-41 record, making the playoffs for the second consecutive year. While the result mirrored last season’s early exit, Wagner’s postseason leap and the team’s continued growth provided reasons for long-term optimism as Orlando turns its focus to the offseason.