Banchero dissects defensive breakdowns and discusses the need for greater aggression to break the Magic's losing streak.
On what got away after the strong first quarter against Cleveland:
"Just thought that they got going on offense. Donovan Mitchell had a big night and yeah, you know, I think they just scored more than we did and thought we played good defense in the first quarter. Then we gave up 39 points in the second quarter, so they just got going."
On what made Donovan Mitchell extra difficult to contain tonight:
"It's Donovan Mitchell, I guess. Shot making, doing what he does."
On generating open looks and the team's ball movement/execution:
"Sure. I think we just need to play better. Shots may or may not fall, but we got to win. So anything we got to do to win the game."
On his own aggression tonight, as praised by Coach Mosley:
"Just being aggressive. That's it."
On the keys to clean up as a team going into the Miami game to get back in the win column:
"Just go out there and win. That's it."
Orlando Magic Fall to Cleveland Cavaliers to Mark Fourth-Straight Loss
After losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers at home on Saturday, the Orlando Magic had a chance to get back at the Cavs when the two teams met again in Cleveland on Monday.
The Magic fell short again, this time by a score of 114-98, and the same roadblock they ran into Saturday proved too much for them again 48 hours later: Donovan Mitchell.
After scoring 36 points to lead his team to victory in Orlando on Saturday, Mitchell elevated his production to another level; dropping 45 points on Monday night to outduel Paolo Banchero yet again. Banchero had a big game of his own in which he scored a season-high 37 points to lead the Magic, but it was not enough.
“Yeah, I think Donovan Mitchell, obviously, that's one of the big things right there,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said after the game. “He got himself going; he had 27 in the first half. I think he got himself going, and we put two on him at times, but he keeps finding his way back to that basketball.”
Orlando started strong in the first quarter and ended up with a 10-point lead at the end of the first 12 minutes of play, but it allowed Cleveland to score 39 points in the second quarter, which led to a six-point half time deficit.
“Just thought that they got going on offense,” Banchero said. “Donovan Mitchell had a big night. Yeah, I think they just scored more than we did and thought we played good defense in the first quarter. Then, we gave up 39 points in the second quarter; so, they just got going.”
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