Is Franz Wagner playing tonight against Cleveland Cavaliers? Looking at Magic's forwards status for Game 7 (May 5)

The Orlando Magic have listed their standout forward Franz Wagner as available for the win-or-go-home elimination Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in their Eastern Conference’s round-one matchup on Sunday.

The rising Magic team showcased their composure in Game 6, averting elimination with a determined collective effort in a 103-96 home win.

They overcame a 50-point performance from Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell by delivering crucial stops and pivotal plays in the closing moments.

Orlando will need to draw on that resilience if it hopes to become the first team in this series to secure a road win.

While the Magic have excelled at the Kia Center, their performances at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse have fallen short. Nonetheless, Orlando demonstrated improvement on the road in Games 5 and 6.

The team proved that it could maintain composure under do-or-die pressure. This experience builds confidence as the Magic head into a pivotal Game 7.

The Magic's Paulo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs scored at least 22 points, making them one of only three trios in NBA history—where each member is under 23 and tally 20-plus points in a playoff game.

Defensively, the Magic effectively guarded the 3-point line but will need to improve on limiting the Cavs' scoring inside the paint in Game 7. Cleveland outscored Orlando 66-38 in the paint in Game 6.

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What happened to Franz Wagner?

Franz Wagner has had a standout season in terms of availability, missing 10 games and playing 72. Wagner missed all 10 games due to an ankle injury.

He sustained the injury in the double-overtime loss to the Pacific Division's Sacramento Kings on Jan. 3, subsequently missing eight straight games.

However, he reinjured his ankle against the Chicago Bulls on Apr. 7. In the third quarter, he rolled his ankle and had to be taken to the locker room for evaluation. Wagner didn't return to the game, but the Magic reported that his X-rays came back negative.

He missed consecutive games against the Houston Rockets and the Milwaukee Bucks, resulting in back-to-back losses for the team.

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Franz Wagner stats vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Franz Wagner has appeared in 10 games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, going 3-7 and splitting the six games in the playoffs.

He has averaged 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists with 0.7 steals and 0.2 blocks on 40.3% shooting, including 19.4% from the 3-point line and 77.8% from the free-throw line.