Paolo Banchero Joins Elite Company in Magic's Game 5 Loss vs. Cavaliers

Paolo Banchero had one of the best offensive performances in Orlando Magic playoff history in their loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Apr 30, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) dunks / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO — The ability to elevate your game when it matters most is what differentiates the good from the elite in any sport, and Orlando Magic All-Star forward Paolo Banchero hasn't wasted any time showing he has the potential to be among the NBA's best on the game's biggest stage.

Banchero scored 39 points and had eight rebounds and four assists in the Magic's nail-biting 104-103 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. With that performance, Banchero became the third-youngest player to have multiple performances with at least 30 points, joining LeBron James and Anthony Edwards.

Of Banchero's 39 points, 16 came in the fourth quarter.

"I just got lost in the game," Banchero said of his performance. "Just really wanted to win. Knew how big this game would be for us to get this win so it's tough that we didn't, but it was a fun game nonetheless. I just got lost in it and it was a great environment."

The second-year forward's performance was also one of the best in recent playoff history for the Magic. Banchero's 39 points were the most since Dwight Howard scored 46 against the Atlanta Hawks on April 16, 2011. It's also tied for the eighth-most in Magic playoff history with Hall-of-Fame center Shaquille O'Neal.

Orlando head coach Jamahl Mosley credited Banchero's success to his aggressiveness and the effect it had on the Cavs' defense.

"He did a very good job of attacking, getting downhill [and] looking to put pressure on the defense," Mosley said. "I thought he was very aggressive [and] very strong. I thought it was a big plus for where he was tonight."

The Magic and Banchero showed signs of growth in Game 5. After largely being outplayed in Games 1 and 2 of the series in Cleveland, Orlando stayed competitive until the final seconds. Banchero accounting for nearly half of the team's 33 points in the fourth quarter was at the heart of the Magic making it the most competitive game of the series and nearly taking a 3-2 lead.

Now, Orlando has to set its sights on taking care of business at home on Friday in Game 6 if it hopes to have a chance to win the series. If the Magic can maintain their success from Games 3 and 4 at home, they'll likely force a Game 7 in Cleveland, and the experiences from Tuesday may have been a painful but necessary lesson for Banchero and his teammates to get over the hump when it matters most.

The Magic play the Cavs in Game 6 on Friday. Orlando vs. Cleveland will begin at 7 p.m. ET if the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat in Game 5 of their series on Wednesday or 8 p.m. ET if Miami wins.

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