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