Banchero: Magic 'not good enough' after Game 7 loss
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- Paolo Banchero said the Magic "can't say we're good enough" to reach the Eastern Conference Finals or NBA Finals, calling it "the third straight time" Orlando has failed to escape the first round.
- The Orlando Magic lost 116-94 to the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 in Detroit, squandering a 3-1 series lead built while Franz Wagner was healthy.
- Franz Wagner missed the final three games with a right calf injury after averaging 17.8 points through the first four games, leaving Banchero to carry the offense.
- Banchero averaged 33.3 points in Games 5-7, including 38 in Game 7, where he scored 32 through three quarters on 12-for-22 (54.5%) shooting while his teammates combined for 32 points on 10-for-32 (27%) shooting.
- Orlando's offense collapsed across two games: 19 points on 10.8% shooting in the second half of Game 6, then just 15 points in the third quarter of Game 7 after scoring 49 in the first half — 83 total points across five quarters.
- Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said "We just couldn't find the basket," while noting the team "fought and battled" and that roster reflection would come later.
- Detroit's Cade Cunningham scored 32, but the difference was the help he finally got: Tobias Harris added 30 and Jalen Duren posted 15 points and 15 rebounds, prompting Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff to declare "No one can ever say [stuff] to me about Tobias Harris."
Why it matters: Banchero's unusually candid public admission puts immediate offseason pressure on Orlando's front office to add a secondary creator after three consecutive first-round exits, and the 27% shooting from Banchero's teammates in Game 7 quantifies exactly why. For Detroit, getting 30 points from Harris and a 15-and-15 from Duren alongside Cunningham's 32 validated the veteran depth that powered the 3-1 series comeback.
