Magic Star Paolo Banchero Thanks Teammates for Motivating Him Through Sickness
Paolo Banchero was able to get the Orlando Magic the win in its last game against the Detroit Pistons, as he hit a game winner with less than a second left on the clock.
The All-Star forward hit a step back mid-range through contact in a tie game, and was able to hit the free throw, extending the Magic's lead to three with barely any time left on the clock. Banchero has been battling sickness the past few days, and he said in his postgame interview that his teammates got him through the game.
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"I been feeling terrible past couple days, just battling being sick," Banchero said. "For my teammates and coaches to have confidence in me reassuring me and telling me I was gonna be good... I just give all of the credit to them, because they kept me in it. There was a couple moments in the game where I could have easily drifted off and took myself out of the game, but they didn't let me do that."
Banchero finished as the Magic's leading scorer with 15 points, and he also tallied five rebounds and two blocks. The young star has found himself on the team's injury report the past few games, and was questionable going into the game with an illness, but he was able to pull through and help the Magic get the win.
The Magic's greatest strength showed in full force in the win, as eight players finished in double-digits. The fact that the team is able to perform like this with a key player not at 100 percent bodes well for when the entire team is healthy.
Banchero and the rest of the Magic will be looking for their fourth straight win tonight against the Atlanta Hawks. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena.
