ORLANDO, Fla. - Paolo Banchero did not miss until the Hawks had already seen five of his shots fall. By the time Wednesday night was over, he had missed only twice more, and the Orlando Magic still walked off the Kia Center floor on the wrong end of a 132-125 season opener.
Banchero scored 35 points on 10-of-12 shooting, made 12 of his 16 free throws and handed out 10 assists in just over 41 minutes, according to ESPN's box score. He added seven rebounds and hit three of his four 3-point tries.
It was the first game for Sean Sweeney as Orlando's head coach, and the new staff got a full look at what its top forward can do when he attacks from the opening tip.
"I loved his aggressiveness," Sweeney said in comments posted by the Magic. "I think he can be even better. But he did a great job in a lot of areas."
Pulling Orlando back in front
The Magic led by double digits early before Atlanta strung together two 12-0 runs and won the second quarter 44-29, The Associated Press reported. The Hawks went to the break up 72-62.
Banchero answered in the third. He sparked an 11-0 Orlando push and finished it with a three-point play that put the Magic back ahead 98-95 with about two minutes left in the period, per the AP. Orlando had not been in front since the first half, and the Magic took a 100-99 edge into the fourth after a 38-point third quarter.
He did much of his work by getting downhill. Sweeney pointed to the way Banchero drew help, finished plays and kept getting to the foul line, a trip he made more often than any other Magic player.
Where it slipped away
The fourth quarter belonged to Atlanta. Orlando made one of its 12 attempts from beyond the arc in the final period, the team's postgame story noted, and the Magic finished with 20 turnovers that turned into 24 Hawks points. Atlanta also scored 60 points in the paint.
