The Orlando Magic defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 118-111 in Germany on Thursday, in the NBA’s first regular-season game there. Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 26 points and 13 rebounds; Franz Wagner returned to the lineup with 18 points and nine rebounds.
Wagner, returning from a high ankle sprain, played in his native Germany. He was joined by his brother, Moritz Wagner, for the first time in over a year; Moritz, recently back from an ACL tear, added seven points in 14 minutes.
Anthony Black also scored 21 points, contributing to the Magic’s third win in four matches.
For the Grizzlies, with seven losses in their last nine, Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 30 points, with Santi Aldama adding 18 and Cedric Coward 17. Star player Ja Morant was sidelined with a right calf injury.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed optimism that Morant, a two-time All-Star, would be fit for Sunday’s London rematch.
The Grizzlies took a 52-32 lead midway through the second quarter, but the Magic got back within nine by halftime and then went on a 13-0 run for an 84-73 advantage late in the third.
Memphis rallied and led 105-102 on GG Jackson’s layup with 4:05 left in the game. Franz Wagner tied it with a 3-pointer and then helped the Magic close it out by scoring five points in the final 1:39.
The NBA played its first preseason game in what was then West Germany in 1984. At the time, there were 10 international players on NBA rosters.
This season opened with a record 135 international players, including 71 from Europe. Tickets were sold to fans from 62 countries for Thursday’s game, the NBA said, and more than 250,000 people tried to obtain tickets by registering on the league’s site.
The teams will travel to London for their next match.
