DETROIT (AP) — Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner was 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.
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