When Paolo Banchero hit the game-winning shot over the Detroit Pistons with 0.8 seconds left on Saturday night, Orlando Magic fans everywhere were thrilled.
But possibly no one was happier than Mario Banchero, father of the Magic All-Star.
After Banchero sent the Magic to the locker room with the victory, Mario tweeted out a single emoji that said it all:
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ā Mario Banchero (@MarioBanchero) February 25, 2024
While his father was fired up, Banchero wasn't impressed with his play on Saturday night, saying, āI played terrible.ā
Battling through illness, he finished the game 5-17 with 15 points and five rebounds for the Magic.
In his postgame press conference, Banchero praised his Magic teammates, giving them credit for believing in him despite playing poorly (by his standards) while dealing with illness.
āPaolo Banchero mentioned the teams trust in him with the game on the line āgot me emotional' āI been feeling terrible past couple days, just battling being sickā¦ for my teammates and coaches to have confidence in me reassuring me telling me I was gonna be good'ā
Clearly under the weather in his postgame interviews, Banchero had been questionable for the Magic against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday before ultimately suiting up to play.
Assuming Mario watches all of Banchero's games, he's seen some good basketball from the Orlando Magic this season. The team is now in sixth place in the NBA Eastern Conference standings at 32-25. Clearly, their looking to make some noise in the playoffs this season after languishing in the lottery for several years.
Up next for the Magic ā The team takes on the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
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