Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero already is well on his way to stardom.
The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year has boosted his production in virtually every statistical category this season, and he has the Magic in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff chase. On Friday, Banchero took another step forward in his development with a sublime performance in the Magic’s 122–120 road victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Banchero led the way for the Magic with 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for the first triple-double of his NBA career, becoming the youngest player in franchise history to produce that stat line in the process. The performance came one game after the former Duke star and No. 1 overall pick put up a career-high 43 points in a double-overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.