Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic was instrumental in Saturday’s victory, putting together a strong all-around performance with 25 points, 15 rebounds, and three assists, though he committed five turnovers.
Head coach Jamahl Mosley emphasized Banchero’s impact on the defensive glass, noting how securing rebounds helps Orlando push the tempo, Jason Beede writes in a separate report.
“It allows us to finish the possession off and now we’re playing against an unset defense,” Mosley said.
“Once he’s got the rebound, we can play with pace, play a little faster, continue to do a great job of throwing it ahead and keep challenging him to get down that floor easily so we can get some early, easy baskets, especially against great defensive teams.
“But he’s done a great job just honing in and locking in on rebounding the basketball because he knows that continues to help our defense every night.”
Meanwhile, reserve big man Jonathan Isaac was unavailable for a second straight game because of soreness in his left knee.
Mosley addressed the situation before tipoff and indicated the team is being cautious with the issue.
“That’s just something that’s been kind of lingering,” the coach said.
“We just continue to monitor it to make sure that it doesn’t continue to get worse over time, just being more careful than anything.”
Magic Notes: Bane, Da Silva, Banchero, Isaac https://t.co/nJlSqspCE2 pic.twitter.com/yyardD7NoF
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) March 8, 2026
