The Orlando Magic’s well-documented injury woes should be eased in a big way on Friday when the team is expected to get All-Star Paolo Banchero back from a 34-game absence in time for a home meeting with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Banchero was averaging 29 points through the team’s first five games of the season — including a 50-point output on Oct. 28 — but he tore an oblique muscle on Oct. 30 and hasn’t played since.
Franz Wagner helped carry the load for much of the stretch, but the 24.4-points-per-game scorer also injured an oblique and hasn’t played since Dec. 6. Franz’s brother Moritz (12.9 ppg) tore his left anterior cruciate ligament on Dec. 21, ending his season, and Jalen Suggs (16.4 ppg) is currently dealing with a lower back strain.
For an ailing Orlando squad, Banchero’s return is a relief.
“I’m sure it will be a process,” Banchero said. “I won’t be playing 40 minutes the first game, but just listening to the coaches and trainers and trusting them. Hopefully I won’t be restricted for too long and I can get out there and play my regular minutes at some point, but I’m not going to try and push it or force it.”
Without its four leading scorers, Orlando sputtered on Thursday en route to a 104-89 home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Magic shot 37.9 percent from the field and made just 10 of 40 3-point attempts. Goga Bitadze scored a team-high 15 points.
Milwaukee enters on a two-game winning streak, first topping the Toronto Raptors by 24 points on the road before pulling away for a 121-105 victory over the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
The NBA’s second-leading scorer, Giannis Antetokounmpo (31.3 ppg), had 25 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists as the Bucks snapped a three-game home skid.
For Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers, it’s been the defense that has stood out in the consecutive wins.
“Back-to-back games where our defensive focus and attention to detail was on point,” Rivers said. “When we play like that, we’re really tough. If we get multiple misses on defense, we’re going to make threes just because we go downhill and create so many shots.”
Rivers also doesn’t take for granted his 6-foot-11 superstar being able to dish out 6.2 assists per game.
“I love it,” Rivers said of Antetokounmpo’s passing. “Every time he does, he looks over at me because it’s all we talk about. If the defense wants to help on you, hurt them. … He’s so patient with his passing. He’s starting to bait guys now to get guys to come at him so he can make passes. It’s just fantastic.”
Following Antetokounmpo’s lead, Damian Lillard is averaging 24.8 points and a team-high 7.4 assists per game after producing 26 points and eight assists in the victory over San Antonio.
The Bucks beat the visiting Magic 114-109 on Dec. 10 behind 37 points from Antetokounmpo. The teams will square off again Wednesday in Milwaukee.
