NBA Notebook: Paolo Banchero and the Magic have bright future as Boston Celtics rival

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley shared his parting message with budding superstar Paolo Banchero after the 22-year-old missed most of the second half of a tie game on Tuesday after picking up his fifth foul. The Magic faced elimination, and when Banchero returned to the floor in the fourth quarter, Orlando trailed by 21 points. 

"It's ultimate growth for him and for all of our young guys to see exactly what they need to do going forward," Mosley said. "Because you just went toe-to-toe with the champs for five games, and understanding you're right there in each game and then there are small margins of errors. So how do you continue to work to get better at the little things?"

Banchero averaged 29.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, shooting 43.5% from the field and 44.4% from three, taking every shot the Celtics gave him with Boston's game plan revolving around living with Banchero's breakouts -- 32.0 PPG through four games. The Magic fought within 9.2 points per 100 possessions with Banchero on the floor in the series. With Banchero off, they capsized and lost by 42.1 points per 100, posting a horrifying 89 offensive rating. Still, they overall played the Celtics as tough as any opponent has over the past two seasons, and appeared on the verge of emerging as a rival for Boston for years to come as Banchero evolves. 

He didn't spend much time on the bench before Game 5, playing 197 and sitting for 43 across the five games. Banchero sat with ice on his knees for longer than most of his teammates at the Magic's shootarounds. In Game 4, he played 40 minutes and took 32 shots, the second-most by any player against the Celtics this season. In crunch time, long-time friend turned foe Jayson Tatum lined him up for a turnaround jumper and three-point foul that vaulted Boston's lead from four to nine with 2:19 remaining. 

"Man, it's exhausting," Banchero told Boston Sports Journal earlier this week. "But as a hooper, you love it. You're never gonna tell the coach to take you out of the game. At least me, I'm never gonna shy away from taking a shot. So those games where you have that heavy of a usage and you're guarding the other team's best player. It's a hell of a challenge, but it's something I'm not afraid to step up and take on." 

Celtics-Magic exposed Boston fans to numerous villains, headlined by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who shared spats with Tatum and Al Horford throughout the series. Anthony Black later pulled Tatum to the floor in Game 4, aggravating the wrist injury that Caldwell-Pope initially inflicted in Game 1. Goga BItzadze split Kristaps Porziņģis' head open with an elbow in Game 2. Cole Anthony pulled Jaylen Brown to the floor in Game 3 and dislocated Brown's left index finger, leading Brown to drop the gloves in his post-game press conference and say that the Celtics need to fight the Magic if that's what Orlando wants. Brown said the Magic weren't playing basketball.

Orlando received three flagrant fouls for Caldwell-Pope, Bitadze and Anthony's hits before Wendell Carter Jr.'s hip check on Derrick White in Game 4 remained a common foul upon review. The Magic defended their play style throughout the series, saying they couldn't waver from who they are physically and didn't believe their fouls crossed any lines. Boos showered their starting lineup before Game 4, though Celtics fans seemed to acknowledge Wagner and especially Banchero's greatness amidst the villains. 

"I've enjoyed it," Banchero said. "I think it's playoff basketball. Both teams have had physical plays and hard fouls. I look at it as a positive. I think the refs are letting the players decide the game and they're not really getting in the way of it too much. I think it's been a really good series." 

It wasn't Banchero's first. He battled the Cavs, who became the East's best team the following season, for seven games in only his second season out of Duke. In Game 3, he scored 31 points with 14 rebounds and five assists to save Orlando's chance in the series. In Cleveland, he dropped 39 to nearly swing the series in the Magic's direction, losing by one. He won Game 6 before scoring 38 points in a 12-point Game 7 loss where the Magic led for 28 minutes. Cleveland, battered and bruised, advanced to Boston with Jarrett Allen injured and Donovan Mitchell unable to finish the next series. 

The Celtics fared better. Tatum managed 36.0 PPG after missing Game 2 with his wrist injury. Brown proved a solid contributor despite his knee and finger ailments. Jrue Holiday fell with a hamstring injury, though no moment in his last game showed him hobbled, and he played the final 12 minutes. Boston shook off the antics as the series progressed, Horford initially accusing Caldwell-Pope of adding something extra to his Tatum foul, then telling the Boston Globe that Caldwell-Pope intentionally tripped him up in the backcourt to begin Game 2 before brushing those moments off in the media later. Anthony had rejoiced that the Caldwell-Pope incident left the Celtics complaining. Joe Mazzulla steered clear from empowering the Magic's approach, telling Tatum to get up from the sideline following his injury and redirecting questions about Orlando's physicality back to how the Celtics managed the margins.

"Shoutout to Orlando," Brown said after the series. "They did a good job competing. They're a good young team. Nothing negative to say whatsoever. It is what it is. One team had to move on to the next round. Fortunately, it was us, but much respect to those guys over there." 

Carter Jr. paused while talking about his exchange with Horford in Game 4. The Atlanta native grew up watching Horford play at the Phillips Arena, and watched amazed as he blocked five shots at 38 in the Celtics' win. Carter seemed to want to withhold excessive praise or admiration for his opponent, but couldn't help but smile, thinking that he got into a scuffle with a player he admired. Tatum and Mosley, who have known each other for years, also shared a tense moment in the same skirmish, then later shared how much they respect each other. 

The same relationship exists between Tatum and Banchero. For Tatum, who Ime Udoka stressed became less friendly with opponents earlier in his career, Banchero became an enemy before the series. Tatum didn't share pleasantries going in despite his past mentorship of the prospect, and aimed to destroy him on the floor. Brown and Tatum tested Banchero's defense throughout the five games, and Brown forced him out of Game 5 with back-to-back fouls. He eventually succumbed to the enormous pressure the Celtics' talent advantage placed on him, but Mosley loved how he handled the massive Game 4 workload. 

"First game, they played him straight up. Second game, they've been bringing double-teams, moving guys over into the position to try to make his vision tough to find guys," Mosley said. "He missed some chippies. That's what got (his shots) up to 32, but this is a young man that continues to study the game and figure out exactly how teams are playing him, and we're gonna continue to rely on him ... he's impressed me from the moment he got here, but in this series, just his ability to stay calm, to stayed reserved and poised in all these moments of seeing different defenses, seeing different coverages, being able to handle those moments." 

Banchero arrived at the podium after Game 5 saying he never went through anything like his foul trouble in the loss. He believed Brown drove with his elbows out on his fifth foul, hit him in the face and didn't get called for it. His voice and answers grew short talking about how the game might not have opened up if he was in the game. When he returned, he drained back-to-back jump shots, but it was too late. Banchero told the referees he never picked up three fouls in rapid succession in his basketball life, and only thought one was the right call. He wasn't happy. His goal was to win the series. 

The loss left a painful and perhaps inspiring lesson for the forward, who basically fought the Celtics on offense single-handedly while needing to defend just as well on the other end. He drained threes when Boston dropped on him, took and converted the tough mid-rangers and played through contact -- reaching the free throw line 8.2 times per game. Like Tatum, who won a game with 50 points against Brooklyn in 2021 before losing the series 4-1, it wasn't enough.

"I think I just try to look at every experience as a positive," Banchero told BSJ. "This series has been challenging, but it's been fun going up against Boston, having to fight out these games to the last possession, and I think me just dealing with different coverages, different looks, doubles and different defenders, I think it's just all helped me." 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Atlanta: Dyson Daniels won the Most Improved Player award after finishing second by 10 votes in the Defensive Player of the Year vote. Daniels beat Ivica Zubac, 44-23, in first-place votes for most improved, while Cade Cunningham narrowly finished third ahead of Christian Braun. Payton Pritchard received one second-place vote and three for third, finishing 11th. Daniels' ascension from NBA steal leader by nearly 100 ahead of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a capable secondary scorer next to Trae Young revived hopes for this Hawks core alongside Rookie of the Year runner-up Zaccharie Risacher. Daniels improved his scoring from 5.8 to 14.1 points per game after landing with the Hawks in the Dejounte Murray trade.. Still, Atlanta parted ways with GM Landry Fields after a disappointing finish to the season and named Onsi Saleh his replacement, a former Warriors and Spurs staffer. They'll search for a president of basketball operations, with a focus on former Warriors boss and current ESPN analyst Bob Myers. Trae Young extension talks will headline an important offseason for the team. 

Boston (won 4-1 vs. ORL): Jayson Tatum averaged 36.0 PPG across three games in his return from what he called a serious right wrist injury. He appeared to aggravate it in Game 4 after a hard foul by Anthony Black, while hostilities continued between Tatum and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope later in the night as the Celtics took a 3-1 lead. Earlier, the Magic stole Game 3, 95-93, when Jaylen Brown picked up a fifth foul and couldn't get back into the game until 43 seconds remained. Kristaps Porziņģis shook off similar foul trouble to push the Celtics ahead in Game 4, where Wendell Carter Jr. and Al Horford clashed alongside Tatum and Magic coach Jamahl Mosley. In Game 5, no tensions emerged, but Brown hit Paolo Banchero with back-to-back fouls after he received his third with an offensive foul, forcing him out of the game for most of the second half after Orlando led at halftime. Boston stormed ahead by 21 points by the end of the third, and put the series away easily in the fourth quarter. Mosley lamented the fifth foul call after the game while Brown and other Celtics players sent their respect to the Magic after the game. Boston begins round two on Monday against New York. Jrue Holiday (hamstring) begins the series day-to-day after missing the last three games, but appeared to practice on Friday according to the team social media account. 

Front Office Sports reported that Bill Chisholm's group settled financing issues and will purchase the Celtics officially this week. Shams Charania reported in the aftermath that rivals around the league are anticipating Boston will scale back its spending this offseason. 

Cleveland (won 4-0 vs. MIA): Led by 60 points in the second half of an eventual 138-83 Game 4 win to sweep the Heat, who looked like the first No. 10 seed to make the playoffs in NBA history. The Cavs' overwhelming performances befitted their top-ranked offense from the regular season but it's difficult to draw too much from their play against a Miami team that clearly didn't belong, particularly offensively. The Heat failed to reach 90 points twice and peaked at 112, scoring 100 in the series opening loss. The Cavs host the Pacers in Game 1 on Sunday at 6 p.m., a tougher matchup against a team that took 3-of-4 from Cleveland during the regular season, though two wins came in April with the Cavs resting multiple starters. Cleveland won its lone game in January after Tyrese Haliburton fell injured in the first game of a home-and-home, which the Pacers still won behind six double-figure scoring performances. Kenny Atkinson said Darius Garland could deal with his left big toe injury for the rest of the playoffs. He missed Games 3-4 of the Miami series with it, and is day-to-day entering round two. 

Denver (tied 3-3 vs. LAC): The Nuggets and Clippers end their thrilling series on Saturday with a Game 7 at 7:30 p.m. James Harden (28), Kawhi Leonard (27) and Norman Powell (24) combined to score nearly all of LA's points to save their season at home. Jamal Murray carried the Nuggets in Game 5 with 43 points in 40 minutes while Nikola Jokić managed only 13. The Clippers have aggressively guarded Jokić with wings while mixing lineups offensively to open up their offense. Denver enters the series finale a slight favorite at home, but this one's a complete toss-up. Nuggets coach David Adelman tried to gain an edge in it by calling out the officials on Thursday. The winner of Saturday's game will begin the second round at the Thunder on Monday at 9:30 EST. 

"Nikola gets fouled a lot. I'm not sure what was happening tonight, but for him to shoot two free throws with the amount of contact that was going on out there was absolutely crazy," he said. "They put smalls on him. Those smalls were allowed to do whatever they want, so I'm really excited for Saturday that we're going to be able to do the same thing with their best players, because if that's the physicality we're allowed to play with, we'll react to it, and we will go there in Game 7." 

Detroit (lost 2-4 vs. NYK): Suffered a crushing end to their season at home by overcoming an 11-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter, building a seven-point advantage on a massive turnaround, and leading by four with less than two minutes remaining. Jalen Brunson sparked the decisive run with an impossible layup underneath the rim to cut the lead to two with 1:38 left, then back-and-forth turnovers led to a MIkal Bridges game-tying put-back. Cade Cunningham missed a go-ahead layup, then Brunson lined up Ausar Thompson, shook him with a step-back and drained the game-winning three before Malik Beasley dropped a pass out of bounds the other way as time expired. The Pistons' 17-year playoff home win drought continued as Detroit lost all three games at Little Caesars Arena, falling seconds short of a Game 7. With Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dennis Schröder headed to free agency, a massively surprising and promising season ended with a what-if. Especially following a missed call at the end of Game 4 that officials admitted should've turned into potential game-winning free throws for Hardaway. Isaiah Stewart (knee) missed their final five games. 

Golden State (tied 3-3 vs. HOU): Headed to a Game 7 in Houston on Sunday at 8:30 EST after squandering a 3-1 lead. The Rockets' Steven Adams and Alperen Şengün lineups continued to torture the smaller Warriors, Draymond Green picked up another flagrant foul, and the Warriors went on an ice-cold spell into the fourth quarter on Friday. Hacking Adams didn't work, and they finished 8-for-24 (1-12 3PT) after losing a potential closeout Game 5 in Houston, 131-116. The Rockets' zone bothered the Warriors while Fred VanVleet emerged as the badly needed shot creator for an ailing Houston offense that put them behind in the first place. Jabari Smith Jr. made an appearance with two second-half threes for the Rockets while Jonathan Kuminga stayed attached to the Golden State bench. Steph Curry is 3-2 in Game 7s, beating Houston in 2018 with 27 points. He and Jimmy Butler scored 27 points each on Friday, but saw only two teammates score double-figures. Buddy Hield put up 0. 

Indiana (won 4-1 vs. MIL): Tyrese Haliburton's father John walked onto the court after the Pacers closed out the Bucks, 119-118 in overtime by overcoming a seven-point deficit with 40 seconds remaining, and taunted Giannis Antetokounmpo with a towel. Security and teammates separated the two after the exchange became more tense, and the Pacers decided to keep Haliburton's father away from games for the foreseeable future. Antetokounmpo called the incident disrespectful. John later apologized on social media while Tyrese accepted the organization's decision, saying his father will be fine watching at home, while saying he obviously wouldn't criticize his father further. Pascal Siakam led Indiana in scoring while Haliburton posted 11.6 APG in what became a routine series win, Haliburton scoring five straight points at the basket to complete the stunning Milwaukee collapse ahead of what looked like an inevitable Game 6. Haliburton finished with 26 points in the closeout win. They'll challenge the Cavs' defense. 

Lakers (lost 1-4 vs. MIN): Fell to the Timberwolves, 103-96, crushed by Rudy Gobert's 27 points and 24 rebounds against their tired and depleted front line. JJ Redick played the Lakers' starters for the entire second half in Game 4, an unprecedented move that resulted in a loss and a question before Game 5 about it that led Redick to storm out of the press conference. Jaxson Hayes lost favor as LA went small against the massive Minnesota frontcourt, which bullied them late in the series. LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Redick set up summer drama by James alluding to the Anthony Davis trade when asked about the team's hole at center, Redick referencing the team needing to be in championship shape, and Dončić saying he hasn't thought about a Lakers extension yet. He can sign a new two-year or four-year deal. James, who's 41 next season, has a $52.6 million player option for next year. Redick is expected to remain as head coach despite their disappointing early exit. 

Memphis: Tuomas Iisalo will remain as the Grizzlies' head coach after taking over for fired Taylor Jenkins late in the regular season. He received endorsement from Ja Morant and Zach Kleiman, though change feels inevitable here beyond them after the Grizzlies slid from the top to the bottom of the west playoff standings before a first-round, 0-4, loss to the Thunder, where they squandered a 29-point lead. 

Milwaukee (lost 1-4 vs. IND): Damian Lillard tore his left Achilles on Sunday and underwent surgery on Friday, setting him up to miss most if not all of the 2025-26 season. The devastating development for Lillard and the Bucks sets up a summer where they face the realest prospect yet of losing franchise icon Giannis Antetokounmpo, who's suffered three consecutive first-round exits while injured or part of a deteriorating roster. GM Jon Horst received an extension late in the season, an endorsement from the organization to chart their future, though not necessarily one from Antetokounmpo, who's remained loyal while demanding in pushing the team to make winning moves. Those have led to the depletion of nearly all of their draft assets, making a pivot even more challenging following Lillard's injury. ESPN reported Antetokounmpo and the Bucks will meet following the season to discuss their future. Top suitors for the superstar have long been rumored to include the Nets, Rockets and Thunder. 

"I'm not going to do this," Antetokounmpo said after Game 5, asked about his future. "I'm not going to do that. I know how it's going to translate. I don't know, man. I wish I was still playing. I wish I was still competing and going back and working out."

New York (won 4-2 vs. DET): Meet the Celtics in Boston on Monday at 7 p.m. for Game 1 after the Celtics pulverized them through the first two games of an eventual 4-0 regular season series sweep. Derrick White and Joe Mazzulla downplayed the relevance of that in April after the final overtime win for the Celtics, and on Friday after practice. The Knicks led by three in the finale on the final possession of regulation when Jayson Tatum hit a game-tying three before Boston won overtime, 12-10, on another last-second three. It's not an ideal draw for New York, featuring defensive targets for the Celtics to exploit, a thin bench and Mitchell Robinon's playing time remaining uncertain night-to-night despite an intriguing showing in the April Celtics-Knicks meeting. Jalen Brunson's first-round tear continues to be their best bet of competing in round two, averaging 31.5 PPG on 43.6% shooting. Boston might live with that while slowing his teammates, but Karl-Anthony Towns scored 34 points in the last meeting while mostly guarded by Tatum. OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart struggled offensively in the matchup, but Anunoby was excellent on Tatum and Jaylen Brown. 

Orlando (lost 1-4 vs. BOS): Guarded the Celtics tougher than any team has over the past two seasons, eliminating Boston's three-point attack and frustrating them with physicality. But the Magic couldn't put the ball in the basket, breaking 100 points once over the five-game series. Paolo Banchero, who said in exit interviews that he's excited to be part of the team long-term ahead of extension eligibility, needs some help. Franz Wagner figuring out his three-pointer and Jalen Suggs' return will solve some of that, but team president Jeff Weltman admitted the need for an offensive addition this offseason after Orlando stood pat at the trade deadline. Moe Wagner, Gary Harris and Cory Joseph have team options while 12 other players enter next year signed, including Wagner, who will now make $38.7 million to begin his extension. 

“What we’ve learned about our team this year is that it’s time to enter the next stage of our development,” Weltman said. “When you go into (a rebuild), you can’t wait to get to this day. You want to acquire enough talent, develop the talent, see the talent grow up, and come together. This year, I felt that we were more battle-tested than we had been, and we (handled) ourselves well. So, I think we’re in a place now, where the focus will shift to looking at the world through more of a win-now sort of lens.”

Phoenix: Vice president Brian Gregory will take over the team's basketball operations after James Jones, their GM since 2019 and the 2021 executive of the year, transitioned to a senior adviser role after a disappointing season. Gregory, a former college head coach, will oversee the team's search for a new head coach and difficult decisions on addressing Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal's futures together after the trio missed the playoffs entirely this year. 

Sacramento: Interim head coach Doug Christie will remain in his role after the Kings and him finalize a new contract. Christie finished 27-24 and clinched a play-in spot, losing to the Mavericks in the 9-10 game following Mike Brown's mid-season firing. He helped stabilize the team initially before the De'Aaron Fox trade undercut any chance of the team realistically making the playoffs. Addressing Domantas Sabonis' future will be atop Christie and new GM Scott Perry's priority list this offseason.

San Antonio: Legendary head coach Gregg Popovich, arguably the greatest coach in NBA history with five championships and the league's record 1,422 wins, stepped down on Friday after suffering multiple health issues over the past year, including a stroke that kept him away from the team for most of the 2024-25 season. Interim head coach Mitch Johnson will officially become Popovich's successor, ESPN reported, while Popovich will transition into the team's president of basketball operations after 29 seasons leading on the sideline. Popovich, an Air Force academy grad, teamed up with The Admiral David Robinson to spark the team's first two championships in 1999 and 2003. Tim Duncan arrived in 1997 and led titles after Robinson's departure in 2005 and 2007 to create a dynasty alongside Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Popovich oversaw a pass-heavy, defensive style that inspired a massive coaching tree including Ime Udoka, Mike Budenholzer and Popovich players like Steve Kerr went on to achieve coaching greatness too. Becky Hammon, who became a trail-blazing assistant in San Antonio with Popovich as the league's second woman assistant, led the WNBA's Las Vegas to back-to-back championships in 2022-23. Brad Stevens also drew enormous inspiration from Popovich's Spurs, hiring Udoka alongside Will Hardy as his successors, who mentored Joe Mazzulla in 2022. Popovich entered the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023. Johnson finished the season 32-45 after Popovich's exit.