When the Orlando Magic host the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, they'll do so without star forward Paolo Banchero, who has officially been ruled out of the game due to a left groin strain that he suffered against the New York Knicks last week.
Paolo Banchero continues to be sidelined with groin strain
It will be the third consecutive game missed by Banchero. He also missed the Magic's 105-98 NBA Cup victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night and their 117-113 overtime loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
The good news is that Banchero is progressing well and keeping his spirits up while sidelined.
“Paolo's doing well," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said on Tuesday. "He's been going through some non-contact, hard weight room workouts with our training staff. His spirits are great."
That's a positive update from Mosley, but the coach stopped short of providing any type of timeline for a potential return to game action for Banchero. At this point, his status appears to be fluid. Obviously Orlando doesn't want to rush him back into action too early and risk further injury.
After the game against Golden State, the Magic will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night and the New York Knicks on Saturday. Banchero's status for those games remains to be seen, and we will get additional updates on his status as the week progresses.
In his 12 appearances so far this season, Banchero is averaging 21.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per performance.
Orlando will have its hands full against Golden State on Tuesday night, as the Warriors have won three straight games and appear to be moving in the right direction as a team. They're 9-6 on the season, which is good for seventh in the competitive Western Conference.
Meanwhile, the Magic currently occupy the No. 10 spot in the standings in the East with a 7-7 record.