Franz Wagner scores 35 as Magic beat Bucks 107-99 for first home win, improve to 2-0 in NBA Cup

Franz Wagner fell one rebound short of the first triple-double of his career, finishing with 35 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, as the Orlando Magic beat the Milwaukee Bucks 107-99 in an NBA Cup group game Friday night, Nov. 13, at Kia Center.

The win was Orlando's first at home this season and lifted the Magic to 5-7 overall and 2-0 in NBA Cup group play. Desmond Bane added 21 points, and the Magic never trailed after the opening minutes. Milwaukee, which fell to 1-12, lost its ninth straight game.

It was the latest big night in a scoring tear for Wagner, who reached 30 points for the fourth consecutive game, according to The Associated Press. Two nights earlier, he scored 38 in Orlando's 123-108 win over the Utah Jazz. The Magic noted on their team website that the run is one of only five such stretches in franchise history, and Wagner can extend it Monday in Boston.

How the Magic built the lead

Orlando controlled the game from the start, opening a 23-15 lead after the first quarter and stretching it to 52-37 at halftime. Bane and Wagner traded 3-pointers early in the third quarter, and Bane's 25-footer with 8:19 left in the period gave the Magic their largest lead, 65-45, according to ESPN's play-by-play.

Milwaukee answered with its best stretch of the night. Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nate Ament hit a string of 3-pointers, and the Bucks outscored Orlando 35-32 in the third quarter and 27-23 in the fourth. Still, the Magic entered the final period up 84-72 and kept Milwaukee at arm's length for most of the fourth.

Wagner closes it out

The Bucks made one last push. A Tyler Herro 3-pointer and a Jaquez layup cut the lead to 100-91, and after Wendell Carter Jr. threw down an alley-oop from Wagner, Herro made three free throws in the same trip to bring Milwaukee within 102-94 with 1:36 left.

Wagner, who had already reached 30 points on a turnaround hook with about six minutes left, then sealed it. He stole the ball and finished with a Euro-step layup with 42.9 seconds remaining to make it 104-94, according to the AP and ESPN's play-by-play. Carter added a three-point play on another alley-oop moments later.

Wagner shot 13 of 22 from the field, made all six of his free throws and finished plus-34 in 36 minutes, the best plus-minus on the floor by a wide margin.

Here is how Orlando's top contributors fared, according to ESPN's box score:

Bitadze and da Silva chip in

Goga Bitadze scored a season-high 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting in 18 minutes off the bench, half of them on alley-oop dunks set up by Wagner's passes, the AP reported. Tristan da Silva, back in the lineup after missing two games with a calf injury, also scored 12 and grabbed six rebounds.

Bane made 6 of 10 from 3-point range. As a team, Orlando went 14 of 14 at the free throw line, outscored Milwaukee 44-26 in the paint and 19-4 on fast breaks, and recorded 29 assists on 39 field goals. The Magic shot 15 of 50 from 3-point range but made up for it with defense, holding the Bucks to 39% shooting.

Suggs returns, defense travels

Jalen Suggs was back on the floor after missing eight games with a knee injury, playing 21 minutes. He scored three points, but teammates valued his presence more than his box score. Bane called Suggs "the heart and soul" of the group and said he was thrilled to have him back, according to the Magic's team website.

Orlando's defense has been the foundation of its recent surge. Over the last three games, opponents have averaged a league-low 31 paint attempts per 100 possessions against the Magic while committing 16 turnovers a game, according to the team. On Friday, Orlando had seven steals and six blocks. Anthony Black, who started in the backcourt with Bane, struggled with his shot at 1 of 9 but contributed five assists and two blocks in a team-high 37 minutes.

Familiar faces for Florida fans

Milwaukee's roster carried a distinctly South Florida flavor. Three former Miami Heat players, Jaquez, Herro and Kel'el Ware, went to the Bucks in the trade that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami. Jaquez led Milwaukee with 22 points off the bench, Herro scored 18 on 5-of-17 shooting, and Ware added 10 points and six rebounds.

Kyle Kuzma and Myles Turner each scored 14 for the Bucks, and Turner pulled down 11 rebounds. Milwaukee went just 18 of 31 at the free throw line, a 58% mark that cost the Bucks a chance to make the final minutes closer.

Bucks' slide deepens

The nine-game losing streak matches Milwaukee's longest since a nine-game slide from Jan. 2 to 19, 2014, according to the AP. Citing Sportradar, the AP reported the Bucks are off to their worst start in 52 years, since they lost 13 of their first 14 games in the 1974-75 season while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was injured. The Bucks are 0-6 on the road.

NBA Cup outlook

At 2-0, Orlando sits in strong position in a group that also includes the Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors. Milwaukee fell to 0-2 in group play. Group winners advance to the knockout round along with one wild-card team from each conference, so the Magic's two early wins give them a cushion heading into their final two group games.

Friday's crowd at Kia Center was announced at 19,140, according to ESPN. The Magic had dropped their first four home games before finally breaking through.

What's next

The Magic hit the road for a matchup with the Boston Celtics on Monday night, Nov. 16, at TD Garden. The Bucks return home to host the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night.