Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero is getting some high praise after he nearly led his team to victory Sunday over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Banchero put up a double-double for the team, who ended up losing in Game 7 of its NBA playoff series to the Cavs. The forward had 38 points and 16 rebounds, and earned the utmost respect of his coach.

“Big moments, he never shies away from them, he never backs down,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “He wanted every ounce of whatever they were throwing at him. He did a great job of attacking the rim, he did a great job trying to find guys, did a great job of rebounding the basketball.”

Banchero's first playoff series

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) defends Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) during the second half in game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Banchero put the team on his back in the playoff series against Cleveland, and was almost successful. Through seven games, the big man averaged 27 points and nearly 9 rebounds. He put up numbers that hadn't been seen in the NBA Playoffs since LeBron James was in Cleveland during his first run with the Cavs. His eye-popping numbers were nearly enough to power Orlando through the series.

The Magic dropped a hard Game 7 to the Cavs Sunday, by a score of 106-94. Orlando struggled with inconsistent shooting, as Franz Wagner shot a pitiful 7 percent from the field in one of the worst NBA playoff performances of all-time. The team was once again stopped from advancing in the Eastern Conference playoffs due to the loss. The Magic are still searching for their first NBA Championship in the team's 30-plus year history.

The future is bright for Orlando, however. The team has a bona fide star in Banchero, who put up some incredible stats this season. The forward finishes the campaign averaging nearly 23 points a game, while shooting 45 percent from the field. He also is building himself into a consistent three-point shooter. He increased his three-point field goal percentage by nearly four points from 2023 to 2024. Banchero is now shooting better than 33 percent from beyond the arc.

Banchero and the Magic will have to wait until next season to get another crack at making the NBA Finals. The Cavaliers advance with the win on Sunday to face the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.