Magic forward Franz Wagner isn’t celebrating Halloween two weeks late with a new mask on his face.

Instead, the Orlando star will have to wear the protective device for the immediate future after he got hit hard on his nose early in the first quarter of Monday’s game against the Trail Blazers.

“I got hit on the rebound and broke it a little bit,” Wagner told reporters after Orlando’s shootaround inside Madison Square Garden ahead of Wednesday’s contest at New York. “Going to have to wear a mask for a couple games, probably.”

Wagner wasn’t listed on Orlando’s injury report heading into a national TV matchup with the Knicks, and he’s known for his toughness on the court.

“He looks savage with the mask,” teammate Paolo Banchero said. “Unfortunate that he has the nose injury, but Franz is a warrior. He’s not going to sit out for nothing. I didn’t even know he broke the nose.

“That’s unfortunate, but he’s going to throw that mask on to be ready to play,” Banchero added.

Wagner was averaging 22 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.09 steals per game prior to facing New York. Scoring in double figures in all of Orlando’s first 11 games, he’s notched 20-plus points in eight of them.

Asked if he liked the mask, Wagner kept his answer short with a grin: “No, I don’t.”

Other teammates didn’t mind the new look and wondered if it would actually provide a boost for the German forward.

“Whenever guys get hurt, playing with injuries, they usually play a lot better,” Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. said. “It looks good on him, though. Definitely does.”

After battling the Knicks, Jamahl Mosley‘s squad returns to Kia Center to host the Nets on Friday.

Howard’s improvement

Perhaps lost in the celebration of Desmond Bane‘s buzzer-beating 3-point shot that lifted Orlando over Portland earlier this week was the play of Jett Howard.

The third-year wing, who’s been largely out of the rotation to start the year, played a season-high 19 minutes against the Trail Blazers. He hit one 3-pointer with 2 rebounds, 2 assists and a block.

“Just take advantage of it, honestly, as much as I can,” Howard said in the locker room about his extended action. “Us up and down, I’m just trying to stay mentally level as much as possible and just control what I can control.”

Working closely with Magic assistant defensive coordinator Altavious Carter, Howard believes he’s grown “a lot” throughout his young career on defense but said there’s still room for improvement. Against Portland, Howard’s plus-minus rating of plus-8 was tied with Jonathan Isaac for a team-high that night.

“I said it at media day, but nobody believed me,” Howard said about his defensive ability. “It can even take more steps with just more time and getting more comfortable out there, building a rhythm.”

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com

Up next …

Magic vs. Nets

When: 7, Friday, Kia Center

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida