The Magic Insider

How Magic PF Paolo Banchero 'Got It Going' vs. Knicks

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero scored a game-high 36 points in a win against the New York Knicks.

Jeremy Brener

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ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic pulled out a big win before the All-Star Break after a 118-100 victory against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night at the Kia Center.

The Magic were led by their All-Star Paolo Banchero, who scored a game-high 36 points without sinking a free throw in the win. Banchero explained after the game how his rhythm is affected on nights like Wednesday.

Paolo Banchero Jericho Sims Knicks
Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

“I think you can’t always – you can’t control how the refs are going to call the game," Banchero said postgame. "You know, Franz (Wagner) drives a lot. I drive a lot. Today, I think I had three-ball going which kind of opened everything up. I didn’t have to drive as much and yeah, I mean, sometimes though you don’t even notice that you haven’t shot any free throws. You’ve just got it going.”

Banchero has proven to be a dangerous threat to score at all three levels. One of the biggest reasons behind his emergence into an All-Star this season has been his 3-point shot. After making just 29.8 percent of shots from downtown in his rookie year, Banchero has elevated that number to 36.5 percent.

If Banchero can keep up these numbers, he'll be able to lead the Magic to their first playoff appearance in four years.

Banchero Explains How Much All-Star Jersey Means

Banchero is one of the busiest players in the NBA during All-Star Weekend, as he is set to participate in Friday's Rising Stars Challenge and Saturday's Skills Challenge alongside Anthony Edwards and Victor Wembanyama before playing in his first All-Star Game on Sunday.

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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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