Magic PF Paolo Banchero 'Ready to Chase Playoff Spot' After All-Star Game
ORLANDO - Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero had a very busy All-Star Weekend, but now that it's over, he's ready to move on and put his focus again towards the season at hand.
"It was fun," Banchero said about his first All-Star Game. "In the locker room, we were talking about the standings and stuff, and how intense it's going to be after the break. I'm just ready to get back on the court & chase this playoff spot."
USA Today Sports
The Magic are 30-25 and currently sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, but there's opportunity to make a jump in the coming weeks.
Just three games separate the Magic from the fourth-seeded New York Knicks, whom Orlando beat by 18 points in the final game before the All-Star Break.
The Knicks, along with the fifth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, have been hit hard by injuries. The Indiana Pacers, who are in sixth, are just 0.5 game ahead of the Magic, while the Miami Heat hold the tiebreaker for the No. 7 seed with an identical 30-25 record.
The Magic also have the league's easiest strength of schedule remaining. Only nine teams out of the final 27 games on the schedule currently have a record better than the Magic. That includes the team's final three games before the playoffs, where teams could be winding down and getting ready for the postseason.
If the Magic can play their brand of basketball and remain healthy, there's a chance Banchero and his team can find themselves in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference by season's end.
