Paolo Banchero returned to the Orlando Magic lineup Friday night after missing 34 games with a torn right oblique. The third-year forward led the Magic with 34 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 109-106 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. He scored 12 of Orlando’s final 14 points as a rally fell just short.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 41 points, along with 14 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Damian Lillard followed with 29 points with seven assists, four rebounds and three steals. Bobby Portis and Khris Middleton each added 11 points off the bench for the Bucks, who improved to 20–16.
Orlando was without Jalen Suggs, sidelined with a lower back strain, and Gary Harris (left hamstring strain). Jett Howard also left the game in the fourth quarter with a left ankle sprain. With the defeat, the Magic dropped to 22–18, just behind Milwaukee in the East standings.
Cole Anthony scored 18 points with seven rebounds for the Magic, while Tristan da Silva tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds. Anthony Black added 15 off the bench.
Banchero was off to an outstanding start in his first five games, which included a 50-point effort on Oct. 28 in a 119–115 win over the Indiana Pacers. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Duke, he won Rookie of the Year honors in 2022-23 and earned an All-Star nod last season.
In five games this season, Banchero looked ready to elevate to superstar status. Perhaps that’s still to come in the Magic’s remaining 41 games and playoff run. Before getting injured, he averaged 29 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists, while shooting 34% on 3-pointers.
During Banchero’s absence, the Magic went 19–15 and sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. In addition to Banchero, Orlando has also lost Franz Wagner to his own oblique injury and Moritz Wagner to a season-ending ACL tear.
As could be expected, Banchero’s absence did make a difference. Without its leading scorer, Orlando’s scoring averaged dropped from 112.2 points per game to 103.7. Going into Friday’s play, the Magic’s 104.8 points per game ranked last in the NBA.
Defense has kept the team competitive. The Magic rank second in the league with a 106.5 defensive rating (number of points allowed per 100 possessions) and lead the NBA in allowing 103.2 points per game.
Orlando hosts the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, giving Banchero a day of rest. Milwaukee travels to New York for a matinee versus the Knicks. The Magic and Bucks face each other again on Jan. 15.
