Josh Cohen

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The Orlando Magic made 25 shots during the 2023-24 regular season in the final two minutes of regulation or in overtime with the score differential within three points. Paolo Banchero made 14 of them, the third-most in the league this season. Only Steph Curry (22) and DeMar DeRozan (19) made more.&nbsp;

Here were Banchero’s most memorable ones:

After Lauri Markkanen put Utah up one with a 3-pointer with 20.1 seconds remaining, Banchero countered with a go-ahead left-handing driving layup with 14.0 seconds left. The Magic would get a stop on the Jazz’s ensuing possession to help secure a 115-113 victory.

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Paolo Banchero Game Winner vs. Jazz (11/2/23)

The score knotted up at 94 after Zach LaVine hit a second consecutive 3-pointer, Banchero backed down Alex Caruso in the post and connected on a turnaround jumper in the lane with 1.4 seconds left to lift the Magic to a 96-94 win in Chicago. 

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Paolo Banchero Game Winner vs. Bulls (11/15/23)

Four of those 14 clutch shots from Banchero came in this game, ultimately won by the Kings in double overtime. Among them was a tying layup with 1.1 seconds left in the first OT off an inbounds pass from Chuma Okeke. 

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Paolo Banchero Game-Tying Shot vs. Kings (1/2/24)

Down the stretch of a thriller in Miami, Banchero knocked down two straight mid-range jumpers – the first pulling Orlando within one with 1:10 left and the second giving them the lead with 39 seconds remaining. The Heat, however, would go on to win after Bam Adebayo hit a mid-range jumper of his own with 18.1 seconds left. 

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Paolo Banchero Clutch Shots vs. Heat (1/12/24)

Needing a three to tie it, Banchero delivered with a triple over the reach of both Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu with 8.4 seconds left. Dejounte Murray responded, however, on the game’s final possession with a game-winning jumper at the buzzer. 

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Paolo Banchero Game-Tying 3-Pointer vs. Hawks (1/17/24)

Despite feeling under the weather, Banchero stepped up in the final seconds with a game-winning AND-1 jumper over Jalen Duren with eight-tenths of a seconds left to propel the Magic to a thrilling 112-109 win in Detroit. 

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Paolo Banchero Game Winner vs. Pistons (2/24/24)

Franz Wagner made three of those 25 shots, including a go-ahead AND-1 driving layup with 20.6 seconds left in Chicago on Nov. 17. He also connected on a go-ahead floater with 45 seconds remaining against the Hawks in Mexico City on Nov. 9.&nbsp;

Jonathan Isaac had two of them – both putbacks off offensive rebounds (at Timberwolves with 1:17 left on Feb. 2 and vs. Bulls with 1:06 left in OT on Feb. 10). Cole Anthony also had two – a reverse layup with 1:47 left at Denver on Jan. 5 and a go-ahead driving layup with 27 seconds remaining vs. Kings on March 23. Jalen Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr., Markelle Fultz and Caleb Houstan each made one.

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Paolo Banchero Was One of NBA’s Most Clutch Performers in 2023-24

ORLANDO - A couple weeks ago, the Orlando Magic and AdventHealth held a basketball clinic for a few dozen youth from the Levy-Hughes Boys & Girls Club in Parramore. Afterwards, the teenagers that attended were surprised with tickets to Game 4 of the Magic’s first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

On Friday, another Central Florida Boys & Girls Club got a big surprise. This time, it was at the Universal Orlando Branch Foundation on Raleigh Street, where representatives from the Magic, including Community Ambassador Bo Outlaw, and AdventHealth came by to renovate the teen room with a new television, study tables, gaming chairs, pop-a-shot, a foosball table, gaming consoles, an NBA Jam Arcade system, video games and board games.

There were also updates added to the club’s “quiet room,” including new furniture and mental health resources for youth. In addition, the Magic and AdventHealth provided the entire club with Papa Johns pizza.

“We are really excited to be able to offer this opportunity to the Boys and Girls Clubs, which has been a long-standing partner of the Orlando Magic and OMYF (Orlando Magic Youth Foundation),” Magic Executive Vice President of Marketing and Social Responsibility Shelly Wilkes said. “Through our partnership with AdventHealth and our run in the playoffs, we wanted to really give back and find a project and opportunity to really support the kids in our community.

“I think it’s really important for the Magic to be engaged with the youth of our community in a multitude of ways. And this is just one of those ways where we can provide a safe space for them, provide excitement, provide engagement, and provide a place that they want to come to every day – so that they can enrich their lives and be positive influences on their peers as well.”

The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida is to “inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.”

Every day after school, as well as all summer long, the clubs provide a safe and caring experience for children between the ages of 6 and 18 from Central Florida’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods, at no or little cost to their families. By providing academic support, extracurricular opportunities and guidance from positive adult role models, the clubs aim to break the cycle of poverty for future generations.&nbsp;

Having organizations such as the Magic and AdventHealth do all they do for the community is a game changer – not only for the resources they provide, but also for the spirit and compassion that the kids feel when they come around. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I think it’s incredible,” said Charlene Cypress, service director at the Universal Orlando Branch Foundation Boys & Girls Club. “I think that the kids see role models such as the Magic, and they see those figures as someone that they want to be like. But to have the two bridge the gap between the Magic and Boys and Girls Club provides them with the opportunity to say, ‘the same that they did, I can do too.’”&nbsp;

As partners for 30 years, the Magic and AdventHealth are committed to enhancing the healthy, active lives of players, fans and the Central Florida community. Together, they’ve gone above and beyond throughout these years to help youth reach their full potential.

“For us as the Orlando Magic, one of the key elements of who we are as an organization is to support the community and really be that fabric for Central Florida,” Wilkes said. “When we have partners like AdventHealth that can come alongside us and do that, it’s extremely important. We always say that every day in the community is gameday. That is truly what we believe. It’s how we operate as an organization, and we are so thankful that AdventHealth is that partner that can come alongside us and do that – and to be able to support the Boys and Girls Clubs, which do amazing work.”&nbsp;

Off the court, on an annual basis, the Magic give more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise and grants. Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 100,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 7,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition, the OMYF, which serves at-risk youth, has distributed more than $29 million to local nonprofit community organizations over the last 34 years.

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Orlando Magic, AdventHealth Surprise Local Boys & Girls Club With Teen Room Renovation 

1. Paolo Banchero Has a Chance to Be One of the All-Time Greats

There are many reasons why this is. Most obvious, he’s doing things statistically only all-time greats do. For example, by averaging 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 2023-24, he became just the fourth player 21 years old or younger to average 22-plus points, six-plus rebounds and five-plus assists with 40-plus games played. The others were Michael Jordan, LeBron James (twice) and Luka Doncic (twice).&nbsp;

Banchero also scored over 30 points three times in Orlando’s first-round playoff series against Cleveland. Only LeBron was younger when he accomplished that (did it five times in 2006 first-round series against Wizards and scored at least 30 three times in following series against Pistons). Banchero’s 38 points in Game 7 were the most ever by a player 21 or younger in a Game 7.&nbsp;

Other things going for him are his poise, maturity, work ethic, and love of the game.&nbsp;

2. Magic’s Defense Was Great And Should Continue to Be

Magic players said over and over again at media day, and even more so throughout training camp, that defense would be what they hang their hat on. That proved to be legit. Orlando finished with the league’s third-best defense (No. 1 after All-Star break) and held its opponent under 100 points 23 times, tied with Minnesota and New York for most.&nbsp;

While everyone did their part, the two that went above and beyond defensively were Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac. Opponents shot just 39.1 percent with Isaac contesting, per Second Spectrum. That was third best among players who contested at least 300 shots and best among non-guards. Suggs did his best work following the All-Star break, when opponents shot just 37.9 percent with him contesting, fifth best among those during that time frame with 200-plus contests.&nbsp;

3. Kia Center Has Turned Into One of Best Home Courts

Overall, in the regular season, the Magic went 29-11 in their home arena. The only Eastern Conference teams with better home records than Orlando were Boston and Milwaukee.&nbsp;

Also, the Magic went a perfect 17-0 against sub-.500 teams at Kia Center. Boston, OKC and Denver also didn’t lose at home against those teams, but with fewer opportunities. The Celtics were 16-0, while the Thunder and Nuggets were each 15-0.&nbsp;

The Magic then went on to win all three of their home playoff games against the Cavs, including in Games 3 and 4 by a combined 61 points. They were the first team ever in a playoff series to win Games 3 and 4 by a combined 60-plus points after losing the first two games.&nbsp;

4. No Surprise, But the Regular Season Matters (A lot)

One of the biggest fallacies in the NBA is that it’s fine to coast in the regular season. Just make the playoffs, and then you’ll turn it on when the stakes are higher, many have in the past said.&nbsp;

History, however, tells a much, much different story. Rarely do lower-seeded playoff teams advance far in the postseason. Yes, the Heat made the Finals last year as a No. 8 seed. The Knicks were also a No. 8 seed when they reached the Finals in 1999, which was a lockout-shortened season. Those are exceptions. The reality is, most of the time, teams seeded between one and four in their respective conferences are the ones who are in position to go on deep playoff runs, no matter how close the final regular season standings were.&nbsp;

Just look at this year’s first-round results. In the West, the No. 1, 2, 3 and 5 seeds advanced. The No. 4-seeded Clippers didn’t have Kawhi Leonard most of their series against the Mavs. In the East, the No. 1, 2, 4 and 6 seeds advanced. The No. 3-seeded Bucks didn’t have Giannis Antetokounmpo in their series against the Pacers, and Damian Lillard missed two of those games.&nbsp;

The bottom line for the Magic going forward is they must take every regular season game seriously because one game could be the difference between going on a deep playoff run versus being ousted in the first round. If they were at home in Game 7 against the Cavs rather than in Cleveland, just think about how different things might be right now.&nbsp;

5. Magic Have An Amazing Coaching/Training Staff

Making a 25-win jump across a two-year span is not common, especially for a young team. But that’s precisely what the Magic accomplished, going from 22 wins in 2021-22, to 34 wins in 2022-23, to 47 wins in 2023-24. Head coach Jamahl Mosley, who finished second behind OKC’s Mark Daigneault for the Coach of the Year award this season, and his entire coaching staff have done an incredible job steering this group in the right direction.&nbsp;

All year, the Magic stuck to their principles and didn’t change who they were. They understand what their strengths were. They knew it had to be done by committee. That’s the buy-in that’s necessary to make major strides.

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2023-24 Exit Interviews: Paolo Banchero

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2023-24 Exit Interviews: Franz Wagner

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2023-24 Exit Interviews: Jeff Weltman

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2023-24 Exit Interviews: Jamahl Mosley

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5 Things Learned About the Orlando Magic During the 2023-24 Season

Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. spoke to the media following the completion of the 2023-24 season.

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2023-24 Exit Interviews: Wendell Carter Jr.

Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black spoke to the media following the completion of the 2023-24 season.

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2023-24 Exit Interviews: Anthony Black

Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze spoke to the media following the completion of the 2023-24 season.

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2023-24 Exit Interviews: Goga Bitadze

Orlando Magic forward Chuma Okeke spoke to the media following the completion of the 2023-24 season.

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2023-24 Exit Interviews: Chuma Okeke

Orlando Magic forward Admiral Schofield spoke to the media following the completion of the 2023-24 season.

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2023-24 Exit Interviews: Admiral Schofield

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We appreciate your understanding and flexibility.

Due to Tropical Storm Nicole, the NBA has announced that the Dallas Mavericks at Orlando Magic game on Wednesday, November 9 will tip-off at 5:30 PM. Amway Center doors open at 4:30 PM.