NBA: Paolo Banchero's 30 points help Magic stop skid vs. Kings

Paolo Banchero scored a team-high 30 points and teamed up with Desmond Bane for eight points in a late 12-0 run, helping the Orlando Magic secure a 121-117 victory over the visiting Sacramento Kings on Thursday night.

Bane finished with 23 points, while Tristan da Silva added 18 for Orlando (39-34), ending a six-game losing streak and moving the Magic into a three-way tie with Miami and Charlotte for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference play-in race.

DeMar DeRozan led Sacramento (19-55) with 33 points, including two free throws that tied the game at 95 with 8:49 remaining. However, the Magic responded with a 12-0 burst over the next three and a half minutes. Banchero started the run with a layup and two free throws, while Bane added a floater and a layup. Wendell Carter Jr. contributed a short hook shot, and Jamal Cain finished the surge with a layup.

The Kings mounted a late 10-2 comeback, capped by Daeqwon Plowden’s clutch 3-pointer with 50.4 seconds left. Jalen Suggs answered immediately with his own triple to seal the win. Sacramento lost for the fourth time in five games.

Banchero’s 30-point performance marked his third consecutive 30-point game and 13th of the season. He shot 11 of 22 from the field while grabbing nine rebounds and leading the team with seven assists.

Bane and da Silva each made three 3-pointers, helping the Magic connect on 13 of 27 (48.1%) from beyond the arc. Carter recorded a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, while Cain contributed 11 points off the bench.

DeRozan also recorded a double-double, his second of the season, with 33 points and a season-high-tying 11 assists, marking the 216th 30-point game of his career.

Plowden led the Kings with a career-high 23 points, including six 3-pointers in 10 attempts. Precious Achiuwa and Devin Carter added 14 points each, Malik Monk had 13, and Maxime Raynaud contributed 10. Achiuwa also led Sacramento in rebounds with nine, along with two assists, steals, and blocks.

—Field Level Media/Reuters