For the Orlando Magic's three German players, emotions and adrenaline were at an all-time high on Thursday. But once they calmed down, a huge victory happened.
For Orlando Magic forwards Tristan da Silva, Moe and Franz Wagner, the chance to play in Berlin, Germany, represented something bigger than basketball.
It was a chance to reconnect with their homeland, as the Wagner brothers were born in Berlin, and da Silva was born in Munich. So, when the Magic fell behind by as many as 20 points to the Memphis Grizzlies, the three of them needed to overcome their jitters and the emotions of the game.
“I mean, the nerves were there,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said after the game. “You see why; you're getting great looks; missed a couple at the rim trying to find the energy through it. I think that adrenaline was very heavy for those guys tonight, you know, and then they settled into the game.
“You saw what they were capable of doing once they got themselves going.”
The Magic were able to storm back and beat Memphis, 118-111, to take the first of two games against the Grizzlies in Europe. The 20-point deficit was the largest Orlando has overcome all season, and it started by fixing early mistakes.
“Yeah, I think we played too slow,” Mosley said. “I think they got out in transition a ton. We missed a lot at the rim, which led to fast break points for them because they were getting out and pushing the pace. We've got to just do a better job, one, finishing at the rim, two, stepping in and knocking our shots down. But then it's got to be a clear sprint to get back in transition, knowing this is a team that wants to get out and run.”
By the end of the game, Franz Wagner had ice in his veins as he converted two massive free throws with time winding down to cap off an 18-point effort after missing the previous 16 games due to a high ankle sprain.
“That's who he is. And that's the work he puts in, the mental work he puts in to know that no matter what's happening prior to the next play, he's not worried about it. And to knock his free throws down, to get the big rebound, to hit the big corner three, those are big moment plays.”
“And he's a big moment player. And I think you can't say enough about him and his work ethic and what he does, no matter what's going on within the game.”