Franz equals T-Mac with 25-point 4th Q in Magic win vs. Pistons

The Orlando Magic definitely missed Franz Wagner.

The German forward dropped 25 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 121-113 victory against the Detroit Pistons, matching Tracy McGrady's franchise record for the most points in a single frame.

The feat comes in just Wagner's second game back after the 23-year-old missed 20 games over a month and a half with a torn right oblique muscle.

The Magic forward was 1-for-12 and without a three after four attempts through the first three frames. He looked like an entirely different player in the fourth, going 4-for-4 from deep and 9-of-10 from the floor while adding four assists and making all three of his attempts from the line.

"It's always T-Mac. It's always him," Wagner said when told about the record postgame, drawing laughs from reporters.

"Obviously, it's really cool. Especially cool for me after a tough start - just stay confident, keep playing my game. There have been games in the past where I didn't do that, so it's growth for me."

Wagner can at least take solace in that he owns the franchise's fourth-quarter mark, overtaking Terrence Ross' 22-point finale on Oct. 24, 2021 against the New York Knicks.

McGrady registered his 25-point frame in the second quarter of a March 9, 2003 win over the Denver Nuggets. The retired wing also scored 24 and 23 points in separate third quarters against the Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers, respectively.

Despite a near-perfect quarter, Wagner is still well off the overall record for points in a quarter. That honor belongs to Klay Thompson for his 37-point third-quarter outburst against the Sacramento Kings in 2015, though four other players have scored 30 or more in a single period: Kevin Love, Carmelo Anthony, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Kobe Bryant, who did it twice.