Magic star Paolo Banchero’s Penny Hardaway feat wasted in blowout loss to Cavs

Paolo Banchero had an impressive performance that replicated Penny Hardaway go to waste in the Orlando Magic’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.

Banchero is going through his fourth season in the NBA with the Magic. He has shined as one of the best players at his position, showcasing his skillset as an aggressive attacker at the rim and active rebounder.

In 40 minutes of action, Banchero filled up the stat sheet in Orlando’s duel against Cleveland. He finished with a stat line of 37 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. He shot 13-of-21 from the field, including 2-of-5 from beyond the arc, and 9-of-13 from the free-throw line. His efforts saw him join Dwight Howard and Hardaway in franchise history for the third-most 35-point games, via StatMuse.

Paolo Banchero vs Cleveland:

37 PTS
10 REB

Ties Dwight and Penny for the third-most 35 PT games in franchise history. pic.twitter.com/PYHFJFYeq6

— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 27, 2026

How Paolo Banchero, Magic played against Cavaliers

Paolo Banchero’s efforts are a great sign for the Magic despite the loss to the Cavaliers. However, he will need his teammates to step up on the scoring front more consistently.

Orlando got off to a solid start, leading 32-22 after the first quarter. However, Cleveland took full control and never looked back by outscoring the Magic 92-66 in the last three periods of regulation.

Three players scored in double-digits for Orlando in the loss, including Banchero. Desmond Bane delivered a stat line of 19 points, four rebounds, one steal, and one block. He shot 7-of-17 overall, including 3-of-7 from downtown, and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe. Anthony Black came next with 14 points and five assists, while Wendell Carter Jr. provided nine points and seven rebounds.

Orlando fell to a 23-22 record on the season, holding the ninth spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are 0.5 games above the Chicago Bulls and 1.5 games above the Atlanta Hawks while trailing the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers by one game.

Going through four consecutive losses, the Magic will look to get back on track in their next matchup. They are on the road when they face the Heat on Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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