Paolo Banchero leads Orlando to victory against Kings
Mar 26, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) takes a shot in the second half against the Sacramento Kings at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images
The Orlando Magic snapped their losing streak Thursday night with a 111-107 victory over the Sacramento Kings, ending a six-game skid. Paolo Banchero was the driving force behind this most recent success with an impressive performance of 30 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists.
Banchero finds his form
This performance marks Banchero‘s third consecutive game with over 30 points, confirming his recent heat check. The Magic forward (39-34) recorded his 25th career game with at least 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in just four seasons. Only Tracy McGrady has more in franchise history with 66 such games.
Orlando had seen its playoff hopes diminish during this losing streak, which had dropped the team below the play-in tournament qualifying line in the Eastern Conference. This rough patch contrasted sharply with the seven-game winning streak that had propelled the Magic to fifth place just a few weeks earlier.
Desmond Bane provided valuable support with 23 points, while Jalen Suggs made his return after missing two games due to illness. The guard contributed 8 points and 4 assists in 34 minutes of play.
Paolo Banchero 30 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST, 11/22 FG, 7/8 FT, 58.8% TS vs Kings pic.twitter.com/Jw92MuBycr https://t.co/1XzanJe5Fw
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) March 27, 2026
A thrilling finish
For Sacramento, DeMar DeRozan delivered an impressive performance with 33 points and 11 assists, but it wasn’t enough to avoid defeat. The Kings, last in the Western Conference with a 19-55 record, made things difficult down the stretch. Maxime Raynaud, as usual, delivered a quality performance despite the Californians’ struggles.
Down nine points with just over two minutes remaining, Sacramento came back to within 116-115 thanks to a three-pointer by Daeqwon Plowden with 50.4 seconds left. Plowden had an excellent game with 23 points on 6/10 from three-point range. But Suggs responded for Orlando with a crucial three-pointer with 27.4 seconds remaining.
This victory allows the Magic to get back in the playoff race with a three-way tie with Charlotte and Miami for eighth place. Atlanta (41-32), Toronto (40-32) and Philadelphia (40-33) maintain a slight lead, with the top six teams in each conference earning direct playoff qualification.
Comments (0)