Top 10 games of the Orlando Magic's 2024 season

3. Feb. 24, 2024: Paolo Banchero's Game-Winners

So much of the 2024 season for the Orlando Magic was about letting Paolo Banchero explore his canvas. It was about seeing what he could do and giving him the freedom to expand and grow his game. He needed to explore whether he could be a star player as a scorer but also as a playmaker.

It was still about discovering if Banchero was the kind of player who could be a closer. They wanted to see if he could be someone they give the ball to in a must-score situation and deliver.

Banchero did that three times through the course of the season.

After a slow start to the season, Banchero responded with 30 points in a win over the Utah Jazz. His final field goal came when he muscled his way to the basket past John Collins for a go-ahead layup to avoid losing a big lead in the fourth quarter.

A few weeks later, Banchero answered the call again. After Orlando lost a big lead in Chicago, Banchero got the ball on the block and muscled his way into a tough shot that went in. The Magic upended the Bulls and Banchero had his second game-winner.

The shot everyone will talk about all season though will be his game-winner against the Detroit Pistons.

On a night when Banchero struggled to shoot and struggled fighting through an illness, his teammates lifted him up to hang on to the lead. But in a tied game, they still needed Banchero to finish.

Orlando got Paolo Banchero isolated on Jalen Duren and Banchero pump-faked him into the air before leaning in for the foul and draining the jumper and a three-point play with less than a second remaining.

Banchero was 14th in the league in total points in cluctch situations. But whether a player is clutch or not is often about the stories we tell and the moments we remember.

Banchero is memorable for his ability to hit these big shots. They are part of his story in his sophomore year. And there is now the expectation that he will close.