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Paolo Banchero pours in 50 points as Magic survive against visiting Pacers

Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel on

Published in Basketball

ORLANDO, Fla. — After Paolo Banchero became the first Magic player to score at least 30 points on opening night since Tracy McGrady (2002) last week at Miami, the third-year pro said it meant a lot to him to be mentioned in the same sentence as the franchise great.

Banchero didn’t wait long to be once again mentioned next to McGrady.

The Orlando forward tied McGrady’s team record for most points in a single half with 37 before the break Monday night against the Pacers before he finished with a new career-high 50 points to go with 13 rebounds and nine assists.

And the Magic needed nearly all 50 points from Banchero in order to capture the 119-115 victory at Kia Center.

While Banchero did the heavy lifting, it was second-year guard Anthony Black who nailed a go-ahead 3-pointer with 33 seconds left in the contest. A free throw from Banchero put the result on ice.

Orlando begins a five-game road trip Wednesday at Chicago.

Suggs shooting

While Banchero did most of the scoring for Orlando, Jalen Suggs contributed with a strong start from 3-point range.

The fourth-year pro started 5 of 5 from beyond the arc to total 15 points at the break. Suggs went onto make one more triple on the night and finished with 25 points.

He added seven assists, five rebounds, a steal and a block in 35 minutes.

Wagner bros.

 

After being added to the Magic injury report earlier Monday and considered a game-time decision, starting forward Franz Wagner (illness) was made available to play against the Pacers.

Wagner, however, only played 11 minutes in the first half and was later ruled out for the remainder of the game due to the undisclosed illness. He totaled seven points to go with a rebound and an assist.

While Franz Wagner was limited, his brother, Moe, made his presence known on both ends of the floor, doing a little bit of everything. He took a charge, grabbed four offensive rebounds and provided energy when needed.

Moe Wagner led coach Jamahl Mosley’s reserves with 14 points and four rebounds.

Injury updates

Reserve center Goga Bitadze (sore left foot) and backup forward Jonathan Isaac (left hip contusion) were both ruled out pre-game.

Mosley viewed Isaac as a game-time decision before he was eventually ruled out.

Monday’s contest vs. Indiana was Isaac’s third straight he missed due to the hip injury he suffered on opening night at Miami.

“He’s doing better,” Mosley said earlier in the day about the veteran forward, who missed 22 games last season due to injuries.

Rookie Tristan da Silva, who is also dealing with an undisclosed illness, was available to play but did not see the court.


©2024 Orlando Sentinel. Visit at orlandosentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

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