EMIRATES NBA CUP

December 13, 2025

Paolo Banchero

Orlando Magic

Semifinal Postgame

New York Knicks 132, Orlando Magic 120

Q. What made them so tough to slow down, especially down the stretch in the fourth quarter?

PAOLO BANCHERO: I think their guys were in a good rhythm. Offensively we weren't stopping them, keeping them in the half-court. They got out in transition, got some easy looks. Just all their guys were confident out there offensively.

Q. How much does this experience motivate you guys for the springtime and for more?

PAOLO BANCHERO: I definitely think it's motivating. I'm sure everybody wishes we played better on a stage like this against a good team that we could see later on in the season. Just shows us what we need to work on and how we can be better later on for the springtime, like you just said.

Q. How would you evaluate the way you played today and just the way you're feeling out there right now?

PAOLO BANCHERO: I'm feeling good. I'm feeling better every game. Not really thinking as much in terms of like thinking about the injury. I think I started a little slow. Started to get involved more as the game went on. Made a run there at the end of the third. Went up two, and then the game kind of got out of our hands from there.

But 0 for 7 from three, obviously I'm not happy with that. I feel like I got to the rim pretty well. I want to get to the line a little more. Little loose with the ball at times.

But I've been feeling better and better every game. Hopefully I can just continue to find my spots out there and continue to play within the team.

Q. You mentioned you guys kind of found that rhythm in the third quarter. What do you think caused that to kind of happen, and why were you guys not able to sustain that energy?

PAOLO BANCHERO: I think the group we had was just playing really well, all of us getting downhill. Guys were hitting shots. We were getting stops.

Yeah, they're a good team, so you can't ever relax. When you go up, you can't relax. I think we just relaxed a little bit there at the end of the quarter and let them go back up.

Q. What as a team can you guys learn from this and take forward?

PAOLO BANCHERO: Just that we can be so much better in a lot of areas. Yeah, we're not perfect. We got a lot to work on. I think we're proud as a group just obviously getting to this stage here in Vegas.

Would have liked to win the game, play a little better, but definitely just a good learning experience.

Q. Especially with how good he was in the first half, how tough was it to see Jalen Suggs go down there with that hip injury and not be able to finish with you guys this game?

PAOLO BANCHERO: Yeah, he's been battling through some pain the last few games. He's just been giving it his all for the team and kind of playing through it. So you hope it's not too bad, whatever injury it is. You don't want to lose him.

But he gave us a great effort in that first half. Unfortunately, he couldn't go in the second half.