Former Duke superstar [autotag]Paolo Banchero[/autotag], now a forward for the Orlando Magic, had a career night against the Indiana Pacers on Monday.
Banchero put together his first 50-point game en route to a 119-115 victory, adding 13 rebounds, nine assists, and two blocks in 40 minutes.
Banchero made it clear he had his eyes on a special night from the opening tip. He scored 37 points in the first half alone, and he made 16 of his 26 shots and 15 of his 22 free-throw attempts for the night.
“I’m tired as hell,” Banchero said after the game. “But it was a hell of a game.”
“Felt like I was in an open gym back at home just working on my game,” he continued. “Every shot felt like it was going in and it’s a good feeling when you’ve got a day like that.”
Paolo’s career performance came in the fourth game of his third NBA season. The former No. 1 overall pick earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2022-23 before earning his first All-Star nomination last year when he averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists while leading Orlando to the playoffs.
It’s also worth noting, he’s doing this at just 21 years old.