Watch: Paolo Banchero off to fast start in Game 7 vs. Cavs

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero. Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Magic PF Paolo Banchero off to fast start in Game 7 vs. Cavs

By Clark Dalton | Last updated May 5, 2024 2:09 PM ET

Although it's his first Game 7, the moment isn't too big for Orlando Magic power forward Paolo Banchero.

In the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Banchero tallied 10 points, three rebounds and two assists. He also went 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. The Magic led the Cavaliers 24-18 at the end of the first quarter.

Paolo Banchero (8 PTS) is getting to it early in the 1Q of Game 7!

ORL-CLE is underway on ABC pic.twitter.com/pijOmukV3P
— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2024

Banchero — the first overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft — broke out this season, making his first All-Star game. In 80 regular-season games, he averaged 22.6 points on 45.5 percent shooting.

He's raising his game in the playoffs. In Game 6 against the Cavaliers, Banchero scored 27 points, propelling the Magic to a 103-96 victory.

"We've definitely learned a lot through this series, seeing what works and what doesn't work," Banchero said following the victory, via the Associated Press. "Knowing what we have to do to win a game."

The Magic last won a playoff series in 2009-10. Pulling off an upset against No. 4 seed Cleveland would be huge for Orlando, which entered the season as the fifth-youngest team in the NBA. It would also grow Banchero's stardom.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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