Paolo Banchero was the star of the show. He scored 50 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and dished out 9 assists, as he led his team to a hard-fought win over the Indiana Pacers. With his running mate sidelined due to an illness, Banchero stepped up, made all the right plays, and carried his team to the finish line.
While his performance is easily the most impressive, it was not the only reason the Magic won. Jalen Suggs left his mark on the game with six made 3-pointers and the decision that would eventually seal the game.
After all, it was Jalen Suggs who passed the ball to Anthony Black in the corner when the game was tied with about 30 seconds left to play.
As it turns out, it was the right decision to trust the second-year guard.
Anthony Black stepped up
Anthony Black quickly established that he was ready for his new role as one of the Magic’s primary bench players. His stat line might not jump off the page immediately, but Black had a huge impact on the Magic’s latest win.
With Franz Wagner sidelined and Jonathan Isaac missing the game as well, Jamahl Mosley turned to Black. The youngster played 31 minutes off the bench and closed the game.
He also decided the game with a big 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter to give the Magic the lead. Just one season ago, we never would have seen Black in this situation—finishing a close game with the starters and deciding the outcome.
His play earned him plenty of praise from coaches and teammates alike.
Jamahl Mosley praised Black for his work ethic and patience and stressed how proud he was of the youngster.
The same sentiment was also evident in Jalen Suggs’ postgame comments.
“AB almost brought me to tears today because I’ve seen it. He’s been here all summer, he’s worked his tail off, he hasn’t complained. All he’s done is prepare himself, you know, for a moment’s call, and today was his moment,” Suggs said after the game.
Paolo Banchero further acknowledged that the Magic would not have won the game without Black and made an encouraging prediction.
“That’s just the top of the iceberg for him,” Banchero added.
Anthony Black was drafted sixth overall for a reason, and now he is finally getting a chance to showcase his talent on the NBA court. Last season, his role was limited. Now, he is one of the Magic’s main players off the bench, averaging almost 10 points and 4 assists per game for the season so far.
With his unique mixture of defensive talent, size, and growing skills as a playmaker, Black looks just like the kind of player the Magic need as one of their guards. On top of that, Black is still only 20 years old and has a long career to continue developing ahead of him.