Oblique injuries are relatively rare in basketball, and Orlando Magic fans were shocked on Oct. 30 when one befell forward Paolo Banchero.
Now, a little over a month later, a similar injury has knocked out another of the team's rising young stars.
Magic forward Franz Wagner will miss an indefinite amount of time after tearing his right oblique Friday during Orlando's 102–94 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, according to a Saturday afternoon report from Shams Charania of ESPN.
Wagner, 23, is averaging a career-high 24.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season. Thanks largely to his efforts, the Magic are 16-9—the third-best ledger in the Eastern Conference.
Just in: Orlando Magic star forward Franz Wagner has suffered a torn right oblique and is out indefinitely, sources tell ESPN. Wagner sustained the injury Friday night and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. pic.twitter.com/PNYmB0VnyS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 7, 2024
The oblique muscle helps govern core motion, and injuries to it are common in baseball. Basketball is a different story, as Orlando fans know all too well.
The Magic, sans Banchero and Wagner, are scheduled to play the Phoenix Suns on the road Sunday.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Orlando Magic’s Franz Wagner Out Indefinitely Due to Torn Oblique.
