It appears no one can cease Orlando Magic energy ahead Paolo Banchero in March, not even the highest staff within the Jap Convention.
In Sunday’s highway recreation in opposition to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Banchero scored a game-high 24 factors, grabbed 11 rebounds and had seven assists.
He additionally drilled a key shot late within the fourth quarter. With 45.1 seconds left within the recreation and the Magic trailing 103-102, Banchero drove to his proper and nailed a 16-foot pullup jump shot.
Banchero’s clutch bucket was part of an 11-3 run that sealed a 108-103 win for the Magic.
The loss ended a 16-game win streak for Cleveland (56-11), the longest in franchise historical past. Orlando, in the meantime, improved to 32-37.
Orlando has misplaced 5 of its first eight video games in March. Banchero, nevertheless, has been glorious.
In his first seven games in March, the primary general choose of the 2022 NBA Draft had averaged 30.7 factors per recreation on 53.3% capturing from the sphere and logged 7.6 rebounds per recreation and 4 assists per recreation.
The Magic want Banchero to maintain flourishing to remain within the playoff hunt. If the postseason began Sunday, the Magic would have the No. 8 seed within the Jap Convention and face the No. 7 seed Atlanta Hawks within the play-in recreation.
The Magic are short-handed this season, as capturing guard Jalen Suggs and heart Moritz Wagner have suffered season-ending knee accidents.
If Orlando makes it out of the play-in and into the playoffs, they might nonetheless be a troublesome out for one of many prime groups within the Jap Convention, particularly if Banchero’s scoring spurt continues.
