The Magic Insider

Magic 91, Rockets 77: Paolo Banchero Shines in Summer League Debut

The Magic kick off its Summer League circuit in style.

Jeremy Brener

Magic 91, Rockets 77: Paolo Banchero Shines in Summer League Debut
Magic 91, Rockets 77: Paolo Banchero Shines in Summer League Debut /

The Orlando Magic is starting off its Las Vegas Summer League all smiles after a 91-77 opening-night win against the Houston Rockets.

All eyes were on No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero, and the former Duke Blue Devil didn't disappoint. Banchero scored eight quick points in the first quarter en route to 17 in the game. He set the tone and was able to flash potential on both ends of the floor.

On offense, he set himself apart by hitting this brilliant stepback three ...

And on defense, he was able to swat away this drive attempt from No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr.

There's still a lot left to be uncovered with Banchero's game, and it should be a treat when he plays in the coming games.

Despite Banchero's strong efforts, the leading scorer in the game was the Magic's other draft pick, Michigan wing Caleb Houstan.

Houstan, the 32nd pick in the NBA Draft, knocked down a team-high 20 points and made 5 of 9 three-point attempts. Houstan led the efforts for a Magic team placing a ton of emphasis on the perimeter. As a team, the Magic made 14 of 33 attempts from beyond the arc.

Outside of the draft picks, there were other highlights. Devin Cannady scored 15 points as the team's starting point guard, and his fellow backcourt starter R.J. Hampton recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

The Magic will sit Friday out before facing No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray and the Sacramento Kings at 4 p.m. Saturday.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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