Without leading scorer Paolo Banchero, the Orlando Magic overcame a choppy start on Sunday to defeat the New York Knicks, marking their first win under coach Sean Sweeney.
Franz Wagner narrowly missed a triple-double with 23 points, a career-high 13 points and nine assists, while Desmond Bane scored 22 points and Tristan da Silva added 19 points off the bench in the 111-102 victory at Madison Square Garden.
The Magic trailed 12-0 early after missing their first eight shots of the game. They rallied back to within one possession on several occasions, and they wouldn't take their first lead until the 7:25 mark of the fourth quarter on a free throw by Wagner.
Orlando outscored New York 40-27 in the fourth quarter, including a 35-16 run to finish.
The group made several defensive stops in key situations and forced seven of the Knicks' 16 total turnovers in the period, which resulted in 10 points.
While Banchero missed his first game after suffering a low-grade high right ankle sprain on Friday, the Magic saw Anthony Black return from his own injury. Black provided an immediate spark, finishing with 18 points, five assists and three rebounds in 26 minutes.
After defeating the Knicks (0-3) on Sunday, the Magic continue their road trip with two games in Toronto on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. EDT) and Friday (7:30 p.m.).
Here are three observations from the contest:
4th Quarter Franz
Finishing with 23 points, Wagner tallied 21 in the fourth quarter alone to lead the Magic down the stretch. It marked only the sixth time since the 1996-97 season that a Magic player scored 20 or more points in the fourth quarter, and the first since Jett Howard on Nov. 23, 2025 (22).
Wagner started 1-for-10 from the field through the first three quarters before bouncing back by going 8-for-13 in the fourth quarter, adding five free throws. He played all 12 minutes in the decisive fourth quarter and was a plus-13 on the court.
"You could say the game wasn't really going his way for a majority of it, but on the bench, our talk to him was stay with it, stay aggressive, keep trusting yourself and make the right plays," Black said of Wagner. "He turned it up in the fourth quarter: Got to the rim, got to the free-throw line and played really well."
Franz Wagner dropped 21 POINTS in Q4 🔥
— NBA (@NBA) October 26, 2026
He finished with 23 PTS, 13 REB (career-high), and 9 AST to lead the @OrlandoMagic to victory on the road! pic.twitter.com/yFwG0wekJ3
Welcome back, Anthony Black
Black debuted after missing the preseason and the first two regular-season games with a right ankle sprain. His presence was immediately felt after scoring nine points in a five-minute span, including a 26-foot 3-pointer for the team's first basket of the game. The fourth-year guard finished a team-high plus-21 in 26 minutes off the bench, which stood out to Wagner perhaps the most.
"He was amazing," Wagner said. "Shooting it really well today. Plus-21 in 26 minutes; that's pretty elite. I think he was one of those guys in those stretches where I wasn't playing well, I thought he was really aggressive in the first three quarters, making plays for himself and others."
Jalen Suggs Injury Update
Already down one starter, the Magic lost another when Jalen Suggs was forced out in the fourth quarter after appearing to suffer a knee injury while attempting a dunk. He was helped off the court and taken back to the locker room with just over two minutes left.
Sweeney didn't have an update on Suggs after the game, adding only that he would be evaluated and was in good spirits in the locker room. He finished with four points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals in 34 minutes of work.
"Obviously, super tough to see a teammate go down," Wagner said. "It didn't look great from where I was. I hope he is all right. We'll have to see. I don't know anything yet."
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Magic score first 1st win under Sean Sweeney: Takeaways vs. Knicks
