Paolo Banchero’s good season is continuing on. The NBA Rookie of the Year had an exceptionally great debut season with Orlando Magic last year. And now he is back in form. The forward led the scoreboard for Magic on Saturday’s win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Banchero put up 26 points with 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal. This is Orlando’s fifth win this regular season, a much-needed one. With this 112-97 win, they are now second in the Southeast Division. While this was a win for the team, it was extra special for the 20-year-old.

Paolo celebrates his birthday with the win

The Italian was born on 12th November 2002. And this Sunday, he will be celebrating his 21st birthday. Not a bad way to start the birthday celebrations, we guess. When asked his plans, he had an answer that every 21-year-old in America would have.

Although Paolo had a slow start for this season, he is picking himself up with each game. He is now averaging, 18 points with 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists while shooting 47.6% from the field. This is much better than his previous season averages which was around 20 points with 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

Orlando vs Bucks: match breakdown

This was Milwaukee’s fourth loss of the season as they failed to dominate the match, right from the start. Orlando maintained a healthy lead from the second quarter, which started with 6 points and eventually ended in the 15 point victory. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo had 35 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. But it was not enough against Paolo’s and the Wagner brothers who had a combined score of 43 points.

With this win, Orlando broke the Bucks’ 14-game win streak. It was also Milwaukee’s first loss in Orlando since March 14, 2018. Speaking after the loss, Antetokounmpo said, “Sometimes you have to put your body on the line, take that hit, to make it easier for our defense. The last two games we haven’t done it”. He also added that the team was being stagnant but need to get out of the state and be back to giving their best.

Orlando head coach Jamahl Mosley, praised the victory as a breakthrough. He added, “It’s so important for our fans that they witness what our guys are doing right now, tonight. They played with a level of toughness, they sat down and guarded. They took on all challenges.”

What are your thoughts on Banchero and Co’s performance? Let us know below .