Paolo Banchero pledged to make up for lost time with the Orlando Magic after scoring 34 points on his return following a long injury lay-off on Friday. (More Sports News)
Banchero was named in the Magic l✃ineup for thℱe first time in over two months as they hosted the Milwaukee Bucks, having sat out 34 games after tearing an oblique muscle.
He added seven rebounds and three assists to his 34-point haul, also making five of his eight 3𝓡-point attempts, but 41 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo guided the Bucks 𒉰to a narrow 109-106 win.
Nevertheless, it was an e꧋ncouraging sig🅷ht for Orlando to see Banchero – who has averaged 29.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 2024-25 – back on the court.
Opening up on the frustr🌄ation he felt while sidelined, Banchero said he had come back with a point to prove.
"I had to try to find the pos🧔itives," Banchero said. "I've been able to sit and watch and just learn the game through a different lens.
"But I, for sure, have a chip on mꦜy shoulder now. It feels like some stuff I had was taken from me for a littlꦅe bit. Now that I'm back, I might have to make up for lost time."
Despite seeing his team drop to 22-18 with a sixth loss in their last nine games, Magic coach Jamaꦯhl Mosley took the positives out🌃 of Banchero's comeback.
"I didn't see that one coming, I can tell you that," Mosley said of Banchero's display. "But that’s who he is. The kid's been working hꦍis tail off to get back in.
"Wh𝐆at he was able to do with poise... taking the right shots at the right tim💝e, defending, taking matchups on...
"This tells you how much he wants to go ꦡget it and get after it. That's who he is. He's a star for a reason.💟"
Despite missing their star man for most of the ca♍mpaign, the Magic retain the fifth-best record in the NBA's Eastern Conference, and Banchero is proud of how his team-mates have stepped up in his absence.
"There's a🧔 team-wide belief in each other that anyone can step up at any moment," Banchero said. "Guys p꧒ut in the work just to be ready for the moment.
"You've seen that with different guys stepping up every night. It was just really encouraging for me to see 🎐us resp🤪ond like that.
"Guys getting this experience, coming through in tight games, close games against good teams... 𓃲that's only going to make us better."
