The No. 8 seed Orlando Magic took a 3-1 series lead over the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons with a 94-88 Game 4 victory on Monday night.
But as the Magic head back to Detroit for a potential closeout game against the Eastern Conference’s top seed, they could be without starting forward Franz Wagner.
Wagner was diagnosed with a right calf strain in the aftermath of Monday night’s Game 4 victory. His status for Game 5 is now up in the air, according to a report from ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania.
“Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner has been diagnosed with a right calf strain and his availability for Game 5 against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday is uncertain and will depend on response to treatment, sources tell ESPN,” Charania reported on Tuesday.
Wagner played a key role in the Magic’s Game 4 victory over the Pistons, recording 19 points, five rebounds, three assists and four steals. He was the team’s second-leading scorer in the win, trailing only veteran guard Desmond Bane, who finished the game with a team-high 22 points.
Wagner accomplished this stat line despite exiting the game in the second half. The fifth-year forward left the game after sustaining his calf injury in the third quarter, and was unable to return for the remainder of the game.
“Hopefully it’ll be better tomorrow. The guys got it done, so that’s all that matters,” Wagner told reporters after the game on Monday night.