Paolo Banchero will undergo an MRI after suffering a groin injury against the Knicks
The Orlando Magic entered this season with very high expectations after making the playoffs in each of the last two seasons and trading for Desmond Bain this offseason, but things haven’t quite gone as planned this season.
Even when things are going well, like Wednesday night’s 124-107 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, they still find a way to go wrong. Star forward Paolo Banchero fell with a groin injury in the second quarter and left the game after initially trying to play it.
“I just slowed down and I felt it right away,” Banchero said after the game, via Fred Katz of the Athletics. “And then I made a few more trips up and down and then it was still there. So I asked to get out because I didn’t want to risk further injury.”
The Orlando star will undergo an MRI on Thursday to determine the severity of the injury and determine a timetable for a possible return.
Despite the murky update, which is sure to leave a pit in the stomach of all Magic fans for the next 12 hours, Banchero is encouraged that the injury may not be that serious.
“I dealt with a hair (injury) last year, and it was a tear,” Banchero said, per Katz. “And I felt it, it was really sore where I couldn’t do much. I couldn’t move much. This, I can still do the movements. It was just pain there. (Trainers) said it was torn or whatever, I wouldn’t be able to do anything. So that’s encouraging.”
Banchero had just four points on the night before leaving the game with an injury.
The Magic, already challenged offensively even after trading Bain to add a perimeter scorer, they can’t afford to lose Bancher for any longer period of time. The win moved the Magic to 6-6 on the season, but they are still in the midst of a crowded Eastern Conference playoff race. Losing their star would be a huge blow to their postseason hopes.
2025-11-13 05:22:00
