Banchero registered 30 points (9-17 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 10-12 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and one block in 40 minutes during Monday's 118-106 victory over the Lakers.
The star forward finished as the club's second-leading scorer behind Franz Wagner (32 points) Monday. Banchero has scored at least 30 points in five of his last six outings, and he hasn't scored fewer than 20 points since Feb. 25. Additionally, Banchero found success getting to the charity stripe, and he put up double-digit free-throw attempts for the third time in his last four appearances.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Scores 30 points in win
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Banchero posted 30 points (11-22 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 5-6 FT), eight rebounds, five assists and one steal across 31 minutes during Friday's 120-105 win over Washington.
Banchero has been on a productive stretch of late and has scored at least 30 points in four of his last five appearances. Over that five-game span, the star forward has notched three double-doubles, is averaging 9.2 boards per game and is shooting an impressive 41.7 percent from three-point range. Even though the Magic are mostly healthy right now with the exception of Jalen Suggs (knee), Banchero should continue as the Magic's go-to option on offense going forward. His body of work in recent games certainly backs that up.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Big double-double in road win
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Banchero closed Thursday's 113-93 victory over the Pelicans with 34 points (14-22 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds, four assists, one block and four steals over 34 minutes.
The double-double was the fifth of the season for Banchero, who topped 30 points for the fourth time in 11 games since the All-Star break, while the four steals tied his season high. Over that stretch, the third-year forward has averaged 28.6 points, 6.8 boards, 4.2 assists, 2.3 threes and 1.3 steals as he tries to keep an injury-plagued Orlando squad afloat.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Scores 29 points in tight win
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Banchero finished with 29 points (9-16 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 7-10 FT), six rebounds, two assists and one steal over 37 minutes during Saturday's 111-109 victory over Milwaukee.
Banchero didn't come close to a double-double like he did Thursday in the loss to the Bulls, but he extended his impressive scoring stretch while lifting the Magic to a tight win. Banchero has reached the 20-point mark in his last six games, and he's posted 25-plus points four times over that stretch. Banchero should remain as the Magic's go-to option on offense if healthy, even ahead of Franz Wagner, and the numbers back him up since the end of the All-Star break.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Team-high 41 points not enough
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Banchero registered 41 points (16-27 FG, 4-10 3Pt, 5-8 FT), six rebounds, five assists and two steals over 36 minutes during Thursday's 121-115 loss to Golden State.
Banchero got the Magic off on the right foot Thursday, scoring 24 points on 10 of 12 shooting in the first half to help the team lead by as much as 17 points. Banchero cooled off in the third quarter with just four points, and while he had a strong 13-point outing in the fourth frame, it wasn't enough to match Stephen Curry's 56-point eruption. Banchero's 41 points were his second-most of the season, and his 16 made field goals tied a season-best mark from Oct. 28. Banchero and the Magic will look to get back in the win column against the Raptors on Sunday.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Scores 19 points in win Sunday
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Banchero amassed 19 points (5-12 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 8-9 FT), five rebounds, five assists and one block in 30 minutes during Sunday's 110-90 win over the Wizards.
Banchero saw the end of his stretch of games with at least 20 points Sunday, but the star forward still posted a solid stat line across the board. Banchero opened the month of February with a nine-point dud against the Jazz, but he's posted solid numbers overall over the last few weeks. In 10 games this month, Banchero is averaging 21.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists across 32.5 minutes per game.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Dominant double-double vs. Hawks
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Banchero ended Thursday's 114-108 win over Atlanta with 36 points (11-25 FG, 3-10 3Pt, 11-16 FT), 11 rebounds and five assists over 37 minutes.
Banchero led the Magic in scoring Thursday and was responsible for three of Orlando's six threes in the win. Down 19 points early in the second quarter, Banchero paced the Magic with 18 points during their 38-18 run for the rest of the frame. Over his last five outings, Banchero has averaged 25.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 blocks over 32.8 minutes per game. The Magic start a seven-game homestand Friday against the Grizzlies.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Logs 31 points vs. Atlanta
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Banchero registered 31 points (10-22 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 7-8 FT), six rebounds, four assists and one block over 33 minutes during Monday's 112-106 loss to the Hawks.
Banchero was the second-leading scorer for the Magic on Monday behind Franz Wagner (37), but the star duo didn't get much offensive production from their teammates. Banchero went just 4-for-34 from beyond the arc across the seven games heading into Monday's contest, but he connected on a game-high four three-pointers for just the third time this season. The Magic will look to get back on track against the Hornets on Wednesday.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Struggles from field in loss
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Banchero logged 10 points (4-17 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals in 29 minutes during Sunday's 113-100 loss to the Nuggets.
Banchero struggled to find his shot in Sunday's contest, connecting on just 25 percent of his attempts from the field but still managing to finish as one of six Magic players in double figures to go along with his team-high-tying assist mark. Banchero posted his lowest point total of the season, failing to record at least 15 points for the first time.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Leads charge in Wednesday's loss
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Banchero amassed 22 points (8-20 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 4-5 FT), five rebounds, two assists and one block across 26 minutes during Wednesday's 122-93 loss to the Bucks.
The third-year forward once again led the Magic in scoring on the night. Banchero has hit for 20-plus points in three straight games since returning from an oblique strain Friday, an injury that cost him more than two months. Since rejoining the lineup, Banchero is averaging 25.3 points, 6.7 boards, 3.7 assists, 2.7 threes, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks while shooting 47.1 percent (8-for-17) from beyond the arc.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Delivers 34 points in return
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Banchero (oblique) closed with a team-high 34 points (11-21 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 7-10 FT) to go with seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block across 27 minutes during Friday's 109-106 loss to the Bucks.
The third-year forward had been out since Oct. 30 due to an oblique strain, but Banchero showed little rust in his return despite a slight minutes restriction, with his five triples representing a season high. He's only made six appearances this season, but he's topped 30 points in four of them, and he should resume seeing his usual workload as soon as Sunday against the 76ers.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Officially good to go
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Banchero (oblique) is available for Friday's game versus the Bucks.
As expected, Banchero will return to action Friday after missing Orlando's last 34 contests due to a right oblique strain. While the star forward will likely operate on a minutes restriction, he should reclaim his starting spot from either Caleb Houstan or Tristan da Silva against Milwaukee.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Officially questionable for Friday
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Banchero (oblique) is listed as questionable for Friday's matchup with the Bucks.
Banchero is nearing a return to the court after having been sidelined since Oct. 30 with a right oblique strain, though he'll likely operate under a minutes restriction if he's able to come back Friday. If the star forward remains sidelined Friday, however, Caleb Houstan could continue starting alongside Tristan da Silva at forward.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Game-time decision Thursday
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Despite a previous report, coach Jamahl Mosley said Banchero (oblique) will go through his pre-game shooting routine and a decision about his availability for Thursday's matchup with Minnesota will be determined closer to tipoff at 7 p.m. EST, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Banchero was initially expected to make his return to action Friday against Milwaukee after missing 33 consecutive games due to a torn right oblique. However, it appears that the Magic will stick to their questionable designation for the star forward, so fantasy managers should look out for an official update from Orlando.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Officially listed as questionable
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Banchero (oblique) is officially listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Timberwolves.
Banchero hasn't played since Oct. 30 due to a strained oblique, but he's on the cusp of making his highly-anticipated return to the fold for the Magic. If the star forward isn't ready to play Thursday, fantasy managers can expect him to suit up in Friday's tilt with Milwaukee on the second part of Orlando's back-to-back. The likes of Jonathan Isaac, Tristan da Silva and Caleb Houstan would continue soaking up minutes if Banchero sits out against Minnesota.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Set to return Thursday or Friday
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Banchero (oblique) is expected to return to action Thursday versus Minnesota or Friday versus Milwaukee, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Banchero, who hasn't played since Oct. 30 due to a torn right oblique, returned to full practice Wednesday, marking the final checkpoint he needed to clear in his recovery. While the Magic likely won't ask Banchero to play both ends of the upcoming back-to-back set following a lengthy absence, fantasy managers should look to activate him once it's confirmed in which game he'll be making his return. Prior to his injury, Banchero had a tremendous start to the campaign with averages of 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.2 three-pointers across 36.4 minutes in five games.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Won't play Monday
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Banchero (oblique) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Knicks.
Though he'll miss a 33rd consecutive game Monday, Banchero appears to be rapidly closing in on a return, as the Magic are now listing him on the injury report with "return to competition reconditioning" rather than with a torn right oblique. Banchero recently took light contact at practice, and once he gets some full-contact reps under his belt, he'll likely get the green light to play. After Monday's contest, the Magic have two days off before returning to action Thursday versus the Timberwolves.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Participates in drills Friday
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Coach Jamahl Mosley said Friday that Banchero (oblique) did some conditioning and ball handling drills during Friday's practice, Philip Rossman-Reich of OrlandoMagicDaily.com reports.
While Banchero's activity in practice is a positive sign of his progression through a torn right oblique, he'll likely remain sidelined for an extended period as he has yet to move on to contact drills. The star forward hasn't played since sustaining the injury Oct. 30, and a timeline for his return to game action is unclear. With Banchero and Franz Wagner (oblique) sidelined, Moritz Wagner, Jett Howard and Tristan da Silva should continue seeing an uptick in playing time.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Tears oblique, out multiple weeks
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Banchero was diagnosed Thursday with a torn right oblique and will be re-evaluated in 4-to-6 weeks, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Banchero had been listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Cleveland after he apparently suffered the abdominal injury in Wednesday's loss to the Bulls, but the star forward will now be headed for an indefinite absence after follow-up tests revealed a more serious injury than anticipated. Charania notes that a firmer timetable for Banchero's return will depend on how he responds to treatment, but fantasy managers can prepare for him to miss at least a month, and likely longer. The Magic don't have an obvious candidate to serve as a 1-for-1 replacement for Banchero, but his absence could open up more minutes for Jett Howard, Anthony Black, Jonathan Isaac, Gary Harris and Cole Anthony. Starters Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Wendell Carter could also notice spikes in usage while Banchero is out of the lineup.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Pours in 31 in Chicago
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Banchero logged 31 points (12-22 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 5-7 FT), seven rebounds and four assists over 37 minutes during Wednesday's 102-99 loss to the Bulls.
One game after becoming the first player in the NBA this season to put together a 50-point performance, Banchero was dominant again as he led all scorers on the night. The third-year forward could be ready to rise to superstardom after being the first overall pick in the 2022 Draft, topping 30 points in three of five contests to begin the campaign while averaging 29.0 points, 8.8 boards, 5.6 assists and 2.2 threes.
