The Orlando Magic pulled out an impressive victory over the Knicks in New York on Wednesday night, but they lost their best player for the time being in the process. Magic forward Paolo Banchero exited the game against New York in the first half and didn't return to action. Now we have an update on his status.
Banchero suffered a left groin strain in the game, and he has been ruled out of Orlando's game against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night as a result, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. His status beyond that is fluid, and he'll be evaluated daily moving forward. Obviously Orlando is hoping that it won't be an extended stint on the sideline for Banchero.
The contest against Brooklyn will be Banchero's first missed game of the season. He has appeared in all 12 of Orlando's games to this point and has posted averages of 21.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per performance.
Orlando has been perfectly average to start the season. They have an overall record of 6-6, a home record of 3-3 and a road record of 3-3. They currently sit 10th in the standings in the Eastern Conference, which isn't exactly where they expected to be.
But, it's still relatively early in the season, so they have plenty of time to start stacking some wins, starting with Brooklyn on Friday night. Even without Banchero, that's a winnable game for Orlando, as the Nets have won just one game so far this season.