The Orlando Magic continued their late-season surge Sunday night with a dominant 130-91 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, powered by another standout performance from Paolo Banchero.
Banchero scored 33 points to lead Orlando, which never trailed and extended its winning streak to four games. The Magic controlled the game from the opening minutes and steadily built their lead against a short-handed Milwaukee squad playing the second night of a back-to-back.
Jalen Suggs added 20 points for Orlando, while Desmond Bane finished with 18 points as the Magic improved their hold on sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Orlando now sits one game behind the Toronto Raptors for fifth place and narrowly ahead of the Miami Heat.
The Magic led 67-55 at halftime and quickly put the game out of reach after the break. Early in the fourth quarter, Suggs knocked down a 3-pointer to spark a 12-0 run that stretched Orlando’s advantage to 26 points. Banchero had already done most of his damage by then and headed to the bench for good late in the third quarter with the Magic ahead by 31.
Milwaukee rested two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who sat out after playing Saturday night in a win over Utah. Antetokounmpo has appeared in only three games since returning from a right calf strain that forced him to miss 15 games. The 31-year-old has now sat out 30 games this season, the most in his 13-year NBA career.
Without their superstar, the Bucks struggled to keep pace offensively.
Bobby Portis led Milwaukee with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Cam Thomas added 17. The Bucks were also missing second-leading scorer Kevin Porter Jr. for a third consecutive game because of swelling in his right knee.
In a rare appearance, Thanasis Antetokounmpo — Giannis’ older brother — logged a season-high nine minutes and scored four points.
The loss continued a difficult stretch for Milwaukee, which has dropped five of its last six games. The Bucks currently sit 11th in the Eastern Conference, 4½ games behind the Charlotte Hornets for the final play-in position with 19 games remaining.
The Magic return home Wednesday to host the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Bucks will try to regroup Tuesday when they host the Phoenix Suns.
