Paolo Banchero, Magic Fall to Rockets in Matchup Between Top Picks

Paolo Banchero and Jabari Smith Jr., the No. 1 and No. 3 picks in this years draft, had a chance to duel in their first NBA game against one another Monday night.

ORLANDO - Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic (2-9) matched up against the Houston Rockets (2-9) Monday night, an opportunity to see a battle of top three draft picks. 

Banchero, the Magic's coveted rookie finished with 30 points on 8 of 16 shooting, along with six rebounds, four assists and two steals. 

And despite a strong first-half performance from Orlando, shooting over 65 percent from the field, the Rockets' three-point barrage proved too much. 

As a team, Houston made 14 of 30 shots from distance in the first half and took a small six-point lead into the locker room. Throughout the entirety of the game, the Rockets made 24 of 48 from beyond the arc, six shy of the NBA record.

For Smith, the No. 3 returned from a one-game absence after battling the flu for the past week. 

Recording three points on 1 of 4 from the field a rebound and an assist in 22 minutes, Smith clearly was not himself out there, which should be expected after being limited in practice leading up to the game. 

"He was in foul trouble and had a couple of open looks that he missed and some fumbles of the ball that he usually doesn’t have so I’m chalking this one up to just not being in rhythm and being sick for a week," Rockets head coach Stephen Silas said. 

With his second consecutive 30-point game, Banchero joins Shaquille O'Neal and Dennis Scott as the only rookies in Magic history achieve such a feat. 

“Us being around the same age and us just both being rookies and being new to this and living out our dreams," Smith said of Banchero. "It is fun to compete against him. I’m such a fan of his game and a fan of who he is. It is always fun competing against him and talking to him during the game.”

Orlando is back in action tomorrow tonight against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. 

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