Paolo Banchero wasted no time making his mark on the 2026-27 season, even if the Orlando Magic did not get the result they wanted.
In the Magic’s 132-125 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night in Orlando, Banchero put together a performance that carved out a place in NBA history. He became the first player ever to post at least 35 points and 10 assists while shooting 80% or better from the field in a season opener.
Orlando later confirmed the feat Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter:
“On October 21 against Atlanta, Paolo Banchero became the first player in NBA history to have 35+ points and 10+ assists while shooting 80+% from the floor in a season opener.”
On October 21 against Atlanta, Paolo Banchero became the first player in NBA history to have 35+ points and 10+ assists while shooting 80+% from the floor in a season opener.
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) October 22, 2026
(via @Magic_PR)
stat of the week presented by @HardRockBet pic.twitter.com/TgHsbuMdlj
Banchero finished with a game-high 35 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and one steal in 41 minutes. He was remarkably efficient, going 10-for-12 from the floor and 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, while also hitting 12 of 16 free throws.
That 83.3% shooting mark is what made the night stand out even more. It wasn’t just a big box score - it was a clean, efficient outburst that gave Orlando a chance despite the loss.
The numbers stacked up in another rare way, too. Per StatMuse, Banchero joined Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic as the only players in the 2020s to finish a game with at least 35 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists while shooting 80% or better from the field.
The performance offered a strong individual opening for Banchero as he enters his fifth NBA season and tries to push Orlando further into the postseason. The former No. 1 overall pick averaged 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 72 games last season.
Still, his big night couldn’t cover for the team’s defensive issues. The Magic gave up 132 points in Sean Sweeney’s first regular-season game as head coach, and the new era started with a setback.
Orlando is back in action Friday night at 7 p.m. ET, when it hosts LaMelo Ball and the new-look Minnesota Timberwolves, who are 1-0.
In Other News...
Magic Opener Put One New Backcourt Question Front And Center
Opening night offered the first real look at how Sean Sweeney wants the Orlando offense to function, and it came with the kind of early-season uncertainty that can linger for a while. The Magic are trying a point-guard-by-committee approach, and in the first game the ball moved through a few different hands as the team settled into new rotations and responsibilities.
Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner both found themselves in expanded roles, but the arrangement also exposed how much the Magic still have to sort out in the backcourt and on the wing. Wagner handled more of the creation duty than anyone else before foul trouble shortened his night, while Suggs had an uneven opener that reflected both the opportunity and the growing pains of a new system. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Get An Early Chance To Expose Minnesotas New Identity
Minnesotas new look is already making a statement, and Orlando gets an early chance to see how real it is. After a summer overhaul that pushed the Timberwolves toward a smaller front line and a perimeter-heavy offense, the opener offered an immediate glimpse of the shift, with the ball flying from deep and the roster built to play faster, spread the floor and lean into creation on the perimeter.
For the Magic, that makes this matchup more than just another regular-season measuring stick. Orlando has enough size and physicality to ask questions of a team that has deliberately traded some of its interior heft for spacing, and that contrast should be part of the story all night. The bigger issue for Minnesota is whether this new identity can hold up when opponents can punish them inside or make them win possession battles away from the arc. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Already Face A Worrying Defensive Question After Opener
The opening night loss to the Atlanta Hawks gave Orlando an immediate reminder that its defensive standard has to be sharper than it showed out of the gate. The Magic were left to sort through the film after a late breakdown decided the game, and the postgame mood made clear the issue was bigger than one possession. Players and coaches pointed to the need for better communication, cleaner positioning and a stricter commitment to the teams defensive principles.
For a group that has long treated defense as its foundation, this is the sort of early-season warning that cant be brushed aside. The Magic know the offense will have stretches to find its rhythm, but the defense is supposed to keep them steady while that happens. Instead, the opener left them with a familiar message and an uncomfortable question: how quickly can they turn the lessons from one loss into something more dependable? [Read more 🡒]