Magic star Paolo Banchero makes highly anticipated return vs. Bucks

Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel on Jan 10, 2025

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ORLANDO, Fla. — The night Paolo Banchero suffered a torn right abdominal muscle, the Magic were fourth in the East.

It was still early in the season and Jamahl Mosley‘s squad had played just five games.

But 72 days and 35 games later?

Orlando was still fourth entering Banchero’s highly-anticipated return to the court against the No. 5 Bucks at Kia Center on Friday night.

The star young forward started alongside Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tristan da Silva and Goga Bitadze

The team officially had announced just over two hours prior to tipoff that Banchero was available to play for the first time since Oct. 30.

“It’s a shame they’re not more healthy because it feels like — well, maybe, there’s a lot of season left. Of course they can get that way. But to stay where they are, given what they’ve had to endure, is really impressive,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said about the Magic on Thursday night before Orlando fell to Minnesota in the first game of a back-to-back.

Entering Friday’s contest against Milwaukee, the Magic had gone 19-15 without Banchero (return to competition reconditioning).

He was initially listed on the team’s injury report as questionable heading into Thursday’s game for the first time before he was ruled out prior to tipoff. But, as the Orlando Sentinel reported Wednesday, Mosley mentioned afterward that the back-to-back was one reason Banchero wasn’t able to return against Minnesota.

“Making sure that he’s available for the long haul,” the Magic coach said when asked what went into downgrading Banchero’s status Thursday. “Walking into a back-to-back in some cases plays a portion of that. But [so does] our ability to keep him healthy for the duration — more than just trying to jump right back in.”

ESPN first indicated Banchero would return Friday against the Bucks. The All-Star forward himself, who was listed in the afternoon as questionable again, hinted at the likely possibility on social media in the morning.

At 4:50 p.m. Friday, the team made his return official in a social media post.

His teammates couldn’t contain their eagerness for him to be back after Thursday’s loss to Minnesota.

“We’re all excited,” veteran guard Caldwell-Pope said. “First and foremost, we want him 100 percent healthy. For him to come back and be able to just play is great for him and exciting for us. We’re looking forward to just seeing him on the floor.”

The reason why Orlando was able to remain afloat without its franchise player — as well as at times forward Franz Wagner (torn right abdominal muscle), guard Jalen Suggs (low back strain) and guard Gary Harris (left hamstring strain), who all remained out Friday — stretches back multiple years and much further than just the past two-plus months.

It’s built within the Magic’s foundation ever since the arrival of Mosley and president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman.

“What they’ve been able to build step-by-step, it doesn’t feel like they’ve skipped any steps,” Finch said of Orlando. “[There’s a] great culture here in terms of: they put the work in, defensive-led [and they’ve] been able to have a ‘next man up’ mentality as a result of that, which is really important.

“You could see and feel it coming year after year.”