Paolo Banchero became Orlando’s first player with a 50-point game in 20 years and flirted with a triple-double Monday night to lead the Magic past the visiting Indiana Pacers 119-115.
Banchero finished with 50 points and matched Tracy McGrady’s franchise record for points scored in a half, putting up 37 in the first.
While Banchero fell short of McGrady’s Magic record 62 points in a March 2004 game, the third-year forward joined McGrady, Shaquille O’Neal and Nick Anderson as Orlando’s only 50-point scorers.
Banchero shot 16-of-26 from the field and made 11 of 15 free throws. He added a game-high 13 rebounds and a team-best nine assists.
His heroics offset a balanced scoring effort from the Pacers, who lost their third straight game and were coming off an overtime defeat in the second leg of a back-to-back with Philadelphia on Sunday.
Pascal Siakam’s 26 points led six Indiana scorers in double-figures. Among them was Tyrese Haliburton, who posted his first double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 assists. Haliburton also had nine rebounds.
Haliburton helped ignite a 39-22 third quarter for Indiana to flip a 12-point halftime deficit into a 98-93 lead entering the fourth.
The Pacers built an eight-point cushion in the fourth before Orlando battled back. The Magic held Indiana to five points in the final five minutes while chipping away at the deficit.
After a slow third quarter, Banchero erupted for nine points in the final 6:56. Jalen Suggs played a big role down the stretch, hitting a free throw after Aaron Nesmith was whistled for a technical foul to put Orlando ahead 113-12 with 2:07 left.
After Haliburton made a game-tying 3-pointer with 53 seconds to go, Suggs dished the last of his seven assists to Anthony Black on a triple that gave Orlando the lead for good at 118-15.
Suggs finished with 25 points, shot 6-of-13 from 3-point range and grabbed five rebounds. Wendell Carter Jr.’s decisive rebound on a Myles Turner miss gave him a double-double of 11 points and 10 boards.
Moritz Wagner added 14 points off the bench for the Magic.
Obi Toppin scored 14 points coming off the Pacers bench, while Turner and Andrew Nembhard each added 13 points. Nesmith had 10 points before fouling out.
