Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner trail only Shaq, Penny in exclusive Magic club
03/25/2025 02:03 PM
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner have officially entered rare territory in Orlando Magic history. The duo combined for 62 points in Monday night's 118-106 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, marking their fourth career game each scoring 30 or more points in the same contest. That total is now the second-most in franchise history by any Magic pair, trailing only the legendary tandem of Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway, who accomplished the feat 10 times.
Wagner led all scorers on the Magic with 32 points, adding nine assists, five rebounds and a steal while shooting 13-for-26 from the field. Banchero added 30 points, seven rebounds, an assist and a block on nine-for-17 shooting. He also converted 10 of his 12 free throw attempts.
Their combined effort pushed the Magic to their second consecutive win and improved the team's record to 35-38. More significantly, their performance continued to solidify their status as one of the most dynamic young duos in the league and one of the most productive in franchise history.
"I think we just have a great understanding for each other's games and where each other wants the ball," Banchero said postgame. "And we're not afraid to communicate to each other and also just hold each other accountable, and challenge each other so he's an awesome teammate and I love playing with him."
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner join Shaq and Penny in elite company after standout win over Lakers
The chemistry between Banchero and Wagner helped spark a well-rounded team effort. Rookie guard Anthony Black finished with 17 points, six assists, five rebounds, a steal and a block, while shooting seven-for-10 from the field in 30 minutes off the bench.
"It always starts with us too," Banchero added. "We wanna come out every game and be aggressive, be the aggressors, and so tonight we knew that we'd have to start fast and also just maintain a certain level of aggression throughout the game. So, I think we did a good job of that and guys did a great job of being aggressive — you know, we're never gonna be as good as we can if other guys aren't aggressive so we just always telling guys… be aggressive."
The standout showing also drew praise from Lakers star Luka Doncic, who acknowledged the difficulty of defending both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
"They're both great players, that's the first thing that makes them special," Doncic said. "They [are] young and you know this team is built around them and obviously, you saw how at the start of the season they had some bad luck with injuries… but this team is built around those two and just trying to stop them is very hard. They can do a little bit of everything and those two are special players in this league."
Magic eye Play-In edge over Hawks as they face Hornets looking to complete season sweep
With the win, the Magic moved one step closer to postseason positioning. The team will travel to Charlotte on Tuesday for a matchup against the Hornets (18-53), aiming to complete a season series sweep. In their previous meeting before the All-Star break, Banchero led the Magic with 24 points and six assists.
The Orlando Magic remain in a tightly contested race for a spot in the Play-In Tournament but could gain ground on the Atlanta Hawks (35-36) for the No. 7 seed. With just 1.5 games separating the teams, Orlando has a chance to improve its standing and secure a more favorable position down the stretch.
The post Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner trail only Shaq, Penny in exclusive Magic club appeared first on ClutchPoints.
