The Orlando Magic found themselves on the brink of elimination from a trip to the playoffs, but Paolo Banchero did not let them slip.
ORLANDO — The Orlando Magic used a dominant performance over the Charlotte Hornets to punch their ticket to the playoffs on Friday in a 121-90 win.
At the center of the victory was Paolo Banchero, who proved that his recent struggles were not going to trouble him any longer in the Magic’s do-or-die contest.
Banchero led the way with 25 points on 9/17 shooting while grabbing five rebounds and dishing out six assists while only committing two turnovers. He also had two steals and a block.
The effort from Banchero indicated a return to form after he logged consecutive games in which he shot 7/22 from the field, 0-5 from 3-point range and committed six turnovers. After losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in Orlando’s first play-in game, Banchero took ownership of his struggles.
Banchero did not just leave words of accountability at the postgame podium after Wednesday’s loss to Philadelphia, he put them into action.
“Yeah, just great players, you know, got to respond,” Banchero said after Friday’s win. “That's what they pay you to do. You can't just settle for subpar performances, especially in situations like this: do-or-die, win or go home.
“Got to show up for your teammates and set the tone,” he added. “And so, I thought I did that. Jalen did that, Anthony Black, Desmond Bane, everybody.”
Banchero had plenty of help as the other four starters surrounding him all scored in double figures.
“I thought we all set the tone coming in,” he said. “Wendell hitting two threes. I think it was just a full team effort.”
Banchero realized his indecision against the 76ers not only hurt him, but hurt his team. He took the time to recognize it after the loss and turned it around against Charlotte.
“Like I said, hesitation doesn't get rewarded. And I just wanted to come out and take whatever I wanted, in terms of not necessarily just letting the defense kind of trick me into doing what they want,” Banchero said. “If they're backing up, I'm still going to drive the ball and make them have to react, instead of just falling into their trap.
“And then when I want to shoot the three and I feel good about it, I'm going to take the three.
And so just being confident, being decisive, and not hesitating. I think that was the main things tonight.”
The Magic were able to use physicality and aggressive defense to secure a win over the Hornets. Now, they will face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons, another physical opponent whose success is predicated on defense, in the first round.
“Yeah, I think just matching Detroit's physicality,” Banchero said about what the next series is going to require of his team. “I think that's their calling card. They're probably one of the most physical teams in the NBA. They play defense. Offensively, it runs through Cade [Cunningham], [Jalen] Duren, pick and roll. And they got good roll guys around those two.
“So, got to come in locked in on the personnel and just be ready for a 48-minute fight,” he added. “It's going to be a dogfight. Expect nothing less.”
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