2 Magic players give Paolo Banchero his flowers

03/22/2025 12:55 PM

The Orlando Magic returned to the win column Friday night with a 120-105 victory over the Washington Wizards behind another standout performance from Paolo Banchero. The 22-year-old forward led the Magic in scoring for the ninth consecutive game, finishing with 30 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and a steal. He shot 11-for-22 from the field and posted a game-best +31 plus/minus rating.

Banchero's impact was not only felt in the box score but also earned recognition from two of his teammates.

Wendell Carter Jr., who contributed 16 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks and an assist while recording a team-high +32 plus/minus, praised Banchero's growth and poise.

"[Paolo Banchero's] confidence is at an all-time high from the first time we drafted him, we all kind of knew Paolo is gonna be one of those special guys in this league," Carter Jr. said. "He's been proving that a lot this year… the sky's the limit for that kid. He's phenomenal and he's just scratching the surface which is the craziest part. I'm very excited for his career and what he's gonna do for this team."

Paolo Banchero's teammates praise his rise as a confident leader and emerging superstar

Veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope echoed Carter Jr.'s sentiments before the game during warmups. Caldwell-Pope added 11 points, five rebounds, a steal, and a block in the win.

"I mean he's been playing well for him to be that young and stepping into his role as a superstar and being a leader of this team – I think he's doing pretty well," Caldwell-Pope said.

"He can get better as far as mentally – I would say like have the game slow down for him and he showed [a] glimpse of that but once you get really control of that, I think he's gonna be one helluva player."

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to @Dan_Savage on #Magic forward Paolo Banchero:

"For him to be that young and stepping into his role as a superstar and a being a leader of this team, I think he's doing pretty well."

Full answer, via @Magic_PR in DC: pic.twitter.com/IS0XVvtlWU

— Mason Williams (@mvsonwilliams) March 21, 2025

Banchero, who missed time earlier this season due to a torn oblique, has still managed to produce strong numbers in his third year. He's averaging 25.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 44.7% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc in 37 appearances.

Since the All-Star break, Banchero has elevated his play. He's averaging 29.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 47.2% from the field and 37.1% from three. Among players in that stretch, only MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged more points (35.1).

Banchero credits confidence and control in win over Wizards

Speaking postgame, Banchero highlighted what's been clicking for him in recent weeks.

"Yeah, I think I'm just under control. I'm feeling better physically and I think I'm just really confident in just going out there trying to play the right way, take what the defense gives me and shoot it with 100% confidence," Banchero said. "So, that's just been my mindset and I just wanna keep doing whatever it takes."

Orlando's dominance over Washington included a key third quarter run in which the Magic outscored the Wizards 35-17, extending their lead to as much as 33 points. The Magic held the Wizards to just 30.4% shooting in the period while converting 46.2% from the field and 45.5% from three themselves.

"That was something we were just echoing in the locker room," Banchero said. "We know third quarter haven't been very kind to us in other games, so [we] just wanted to come out and build on that lead that we had at the end of half."

Magic focus on strong finish to secure playoff spot ahead of matchup with surging Lakers

The Magic improved to 33-38 on the season and currently sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. With 11 games remaining, Banchero emphasized the importance of finishing strong.

"I think just every win is a great win and like you said, it's only 10 games left now, so we've gotta be locked in – we're gonna be in the postseason so we wanna be playing our best basketball and peaking at the right time," he said.

Carter Jr. added that the team's mindset is trending in the right direction.

"It was good, everybody's in a good state of mind – guys are healthy, guys are feeling good, the guys that we're gonna have going into the postseason so we gotta continue to have games like this to give ourselves some confidence, some juice, some swag, and whatever happens, happens after that."

The Magic return home Monday to face the Los Angeles Lakers (43-26), who have gone 22-9 since January 17 and currently sit third in the Western Conference. Orlando defeated the Lakers in their first meeting in November, a game won by a Franz Wagner buzzer-beater. However, the Lakers have since retooled their roster with the additions of Luka Doncic and Dorian Finney-Smith.

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