Franz Wagner scored 14 points in 16 minutes in his return to action for Orlando and was a catalyst in a game-changing third-quarter run as the Magic downed visiting Milwaukee 118-99 Monday night.

Anthony Black amassed 26 for Orlando on 8-of-13 shooting. Desmond Bane added 25 for the Magic, who have now won three in a row.

Milwaukee’s modest three-game winning streak — it’s longest of the season — was snapped. The Bucks, again playing without star Giannis Antetokounmpo with a calf injury, got a game-high 28 points from Kevin Porter Jr. He added seven assists, while AJ Green knocked down 4 of 8 from long range and finished with 15 points.

The two teams meet again in Orlando Wednesday.

After missing the last nine games with an ankle injury, Franz Wagner entered the game with 4:11 left in the first quarter, but didn’t assert himself until late in the third. Orlando led 73-70, when Moritz Wagner knocked down a three for the Magic after receiving a pass from Franz. Jase Richardson hit a three for Orlando on its next possession to make it a nine-point lead.

After a fadeaway jumper by Porter Jr., Franz fed his brother again for a long three to make it 82-72, then Franz scored on a drive to the basket and then sank a long three with 19 seconds left in the quarter to make it 87-72. Milwaukee would never get it under 10 points the rest of the way.

Orlando outscored Milwaukee, 36-20, in the third period.

Neither team looked sharp in the first quarter. Milwaukee committed five turnovers in the first five minutes, and the score was tied at 13 with 3:30 left in the first.

Orlando went on a spurt at the end of the first with Franz Wagner scoring on a nifty reverse lay-up, and his brother following with a dunk on a pick-and-roll. A three at the buzzer by Porter Jr. made it 27-22 Orlando after one.

The Bucks played cleaner and better second quarter. Bobby Portis Jr. made back-to-back buckets to knot the score at 31 with just under nine minutes to go. After Orlando creeped back ahead 43-36, Milwaukee went on a 7-0 run started by a three by AJ Green. A driving lay-up by Jericho Sims gave the Bucks a 47-46 lead and they hung on to a 54-51 lead at halftime.

Cam Thomas made his Bucks’ debut after being released by the Brooklyn Nets with four points in 13 minutes.

–Field Level Media

Trey Murphy III produced 21 points and seven assists, Zion Williamson added 18 points, six assists and five rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans knocked off the visiting Sacramento Kings 120-94 on Monday.

The Kings took their 13th defeat in a row, setting a club record since the team moved to Sacramento ahead of the 1985-86 season. The franchise-worst skid is 14 games, recorded by the Cincinnati Royals in both 1959-60 and 1971-72.

Jeremiah Fears added 20 points off the bench for the Pelicans, who won their second straight game while posting their biggest win of the season in terms of margin of victory. Saddiq Bey put up 12 points as the team shot 54% (47 of 87) from the field, including 41% (16 of 39) from beyond the arc.

The Kings led for the majority of the first quarter before a 3-pointer from Murphy and a bucket from Fears gave New Orleans the lead for good. The Pelicans stretched their advantage in each of the next three quarters.

Murphy and Williamson combined to score 14 of the Pelicans’ 31 third-quarter points, and the hosts went up by 30 points late in the period on a Yves Missi dunk.

Rookie Maxime Reynaud totaled 21 points and a career-high 19 rebounds to lead Sacramento. Russell Westbrook scored eight of his 17 points in the third quarter, Devin Carter had 12 points off the bench, and Dylan Cardwell grabbed 11 rebounds. Rookie Nique Clifford chipped in with 10 points.

The Kings were ultimately done in by a hellacious night from 3-point range. They shot just 12.9% (4 of 31) from beyond the arc. The Kings finished shooting just 40.4% (40 of 99) from the field.

The Pelicans had 30 assists to 13 turnovers, while Sacramento had 19 assists and 17 turnovers.

Karlo Matkovic scored 12 points, hitting two 3-pointers, to go with a team-high nine rebounds off the bench for the Pelicans, whose reserves outscored Sacramento’s 53-30.

–Field Level Media

Anthony Edwards scored 30 points on 11-for-21 shooting, and the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away for a 138-116 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night in Minneapolis.

Julius Randle notched a triple-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for Minnesota, which bounced back from a 19-point loss one day earlier against the Los Angeles Clippers. Ayo Dosunmu scored 21 points on 9-for-13 shooting off the bench in his second game since joining the Timberwolves at the trade deadline.

CJ McCollum scored 38 points on 12-for-25 shooting to lead Atlanta, which lost its second game in a row. Nickeil Alexander-Walker registered a double-double against his former team with 23 points and 12 rebounds.

The Timberwolves shot 55 of 92 (59.8%) from the field and 16 of 42 (38.1%) from beyond the arc. The Hawks shot 40 of 99 (40.4%) overall and 14 of 45 (31.1%) from 3-point range.

Minnesota raced to an 81-56 lead at the half and cruised to the lopsided victory.

The Timberwolves scored 41 points in the first quarter and 40 more in the second against a Hawks team that was short-handed and outpaced. Edwards had 21 points by halftime.

Zaccharie Risacher converted a three-point play with a dunk and a free throw to cut the Hawks’ deficit to 54-48 with 6:49 remaining in the first half.

Minnesota responded with a 25-4 run to seize a 79-52 lead with two minutes to go before the break. Dosunmu and Jaden McDaniels combined to score the final 11 points of the run, with Dosunmu scoring seven and McDaniels scoring four.

The Hawks played better in the third quarter but still trailed by 19 entering the final 12 minutes. Alexander-Walker hit a turnaround, fadeaway jump shot to cap the third-quarter scoring for Atlanta.

Jalen Johnson, Atlanta’s top scorer, was a late addition to the injury report and did not play because of a knee injury. Johnson is averaging 23.4 points and 10.6 rebounds, both of which are career highs, in his fifth NBA season.

–Field Level Media