Paolo Banchero takes it to Milwaukee with 33 points in Magic victory

The Orlando Magic made quick work of the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night, winning 130-91 in a one-sided affair. Paolo Banchero was the main architect of this dominant performance with 33 points, taking advantage of the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, rested by Milwaukee’s coaching staff.

Jalen Suggs added 20 points and Desmond Bane 18 for the Magic, who secured their fourth consecutive victory and remain sixth in the Eastern Conference, one game behind Toronto and a few points ahead of Miami. Orlando was never behind and already held a 12-point lead at halftime (67-55).

Jalen Suggs dazzles with a fancy bounce pass to Paolo Banchero 🪄 pic.twitter.com/DCUhllBFCN

— NBA Philippines (@NBA_Philippines) March 9, 2026

A perfect first half for Banchero

Paolo Banchero‘s first-half performance will be remembered. The Magic forward scored 26 of his 33 points before halftime with an impressive 10/12 shooting, immediately putting Milwaukee out of contention. This remarkable efficiency allowed the Magic to take control of the game from the opening moments.

At the start of the third quarter, Orlando definitively buried Milwaukee’s hopes with a devastating 16-3 run. Suggs hit a 3-pointer to spark a 12-0 run that extended the Magic’s lead to 26 points. Banchero went to the bench for good at the end of the third quarter with a 31-point lead for his team.

Paolo BANCHERO

33

PTS

5

REB

3

AST

MIL

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ORL

On the Bucks side, Bobby Portis finished as the leading scorer with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Cam Thomas added 17 points. Milwaukee, coming off a win against Utah on Saturday night, has lost five of their last six games and finds itself in a critical situation in the standings.

The Bucks occupy 11th place in the East, 4.5 games behind Charlotte (10th), and face a difficult path to even reach the play-in tournament with 19 games remaining. Antetokounmpo has missed 30 games this season, a career-high in his 13-year career, after already missing 15 games due to a right calf injury.

The team was also without Kevin Porter Jr., the team’s second-leading scorer, absent for the third consecutive game due to right knee swelling. Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Giannis’s older brother, received an unusual 9 minutes of playing time and finished with 4 points.

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