Banchero out indefinitely with torn oblique
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero will miss an indefinite period of time after being diagnosed with a torn oblique muscle, the team announced Thursday.
Banchero will be re-evaluated after four-to-six weeks. His return timeline from that point will be determined by how he responds to treatment.
The third-year star was in the midst of his best start to a season in his young career. After dropping 33 points and 11 rebounds in Orlando's season-opening rout over the Miami Heat, he became the first player this year to record a 50-point game, doing so in the fourth game of the regular season Monday against the Indiana Pacers.
The 21-year-old suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's loss to the Chicago Bulls but stayed in the game to finish the contest. With 0.1 seconds left, he had what would've been a game-tying shot called off at the buzzer, as the NBA mandates that there must be at least 0.3 seconds remaining for a player to get a shot off in time.
Banchero is averaging 29 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists while playing 36.4 minutes per contest through five games.