The Orlando Magic opened their season with a 132-125 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, but Paolo Banchero made sure the night still came with a clear message: he’s ready to carry more of the load.
Banchero looked every bit the force Orlando needed, finishing with a game-high 35 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists. He did it efficiently, too, going 10-of-12 from the floor and 3-of-4 from 3-point range. From the opening tip, he fit naturally into the offense as a screener, using his strength and gravity to create cleaner looks for himself and for everyone around him.
That role seemed to unlock him early. Banchero settled into a rhythm quickly, and the Magic benefited from it while he ran with the second unit.
He avoided the kind of traffic-heavy forcing that has sometimes crept into his game, and the result was one of the most efficient scoring nights of his career. He has scored 30-plus points on 13 or fewer shots only once before: Nov. 2, 2023 against the Utah Jazz, when he put up 30 on 9-of-13 shooting.
Orlando needed that kind of night because Atlanta kept punching. The Hawks had three players score at least 20, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the way with 31 points after hitting five 3-pointers.
It was his 11th 30-point game since the start of last season. CJ McCollum also delivered key baskets late, and that combination helped Atlanta shut the door on any Magic push.
The game had plenty of turbulence for Orlando. The Magic trailed by as many as 10 in the first half and 14 in the second as Atlanta’s backcourt turned up the pressure and disrupted their offense with turnovers.
Even so, Orlando found enough halfcourt answers to stay in it. Wendell Carter Jr., Banchero, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane all came through with timely scores, and Jalen Suggs added a steal that led to a thunderous one-handed dunk that nearly didn’t fall through.
One of the more interesting developments came on the sidelines, where first-year coach Sean Sweeney handled his rotation with a different feel. The starting lineup stayed the same, but Jase Richardson was the clearest new wrinkle in the mix.
He gave Orlando a useful stretch in limited minutes, posting two points, two rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks. More notable than the box score was the trust Sweeney showed him, letting the 6-foot-1 guard work through mistakes instead of quickly turning to Jevon Carter or pulling him from the game altogether.
Richardson’s night wasn’t spotless, and it won’t be every time out. But the fact that he got a real chance to stay on the floor stood out, especially with Orlando going 10-deep in the opener.
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The competitive tone carried into the final seconds, and the finish had a little more bite than a typical regular-season opener. After the final horn, the emotions spilled over between Banchero and Johnson, with teammates and staff stepping in to calm things down and keep the moment from turning into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
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