Long before his brother was draining game-winning shots and making — as he called it — an “introduction to superstardom,” Moritz Wagner was busy at work, introducing the Los Angeles Lakers to facials of his own on November 21, 2024. Seemingly harmless, upon using a pick-and-pop to spring free along the left 3-point arc, the Orlando Magic big uses a deceptive pump fake, allowing him both a now-vacated rim path, and Christian Koloko in the shadows behind. Quickly deeming it an understatement to say he took full advantage, Wagner barrels towards the rim forcefully, ultimately jumping from the invisible trampoline for a powerful one-handed poster over two different purple jerseys. In hopes of surviving the absence of their All-Star forward, Orlando needed every bit of Wagner’s then-season-high during the thrilling, one-point victory over the Lakers. Dominant on a per-possession basis, Wagner turned a 18-minute cameo into a 19-point performance (on 7-of-13 shooting), paired with five rebounds, four assists, one block, and one 3-pointer, gifting Orlando a trusted No. 3 scorer. · Nov 22, 2024