Paolo Banchero, back after 34-game absence, nets 34 in Magic loss - ESPN

Paolo Banchero missed 34 games, then came back and scored 34 points.

The Orlando forward — back in the lineup for the first time after almost 2½ months spent recovering from a torn oblique muscle — gave his team a chance on Friday night, but the Magic fell to the Milwaukee Bucks 109-106.

«I didn't see that one coming, I can tell you that,» Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. «But that's who he is. The kid's been working his tail off to get back in. And so, what he was able to do with poise, taking the right shots at the right time, defending, taking matchups on, this tells you how much he wants to go get it and get after it. That's who he is. He's a star for a reason.»

Banchero was 11-for-21 from the field, plus added 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in 27 minutes.

«I had a lot of fun,» said Banchero, an All-Star for the first time last season. «I feel all right. Little sore. I think I performed pretty good.»

He said the long recovery time following his Oct. 30 injury in a game against Chicago tested his patience, but he looked back to normal on Friday.

«I don't think I've been in bad spirits at all,» Banchero said in an interview with The Associated Press regarding his return. «But it is frustrating. You know, I've never missed this much time since I started playing basketball. Going so long without playing, I mean, I was so ready for the season and then going down so early into it just makes you ask 'why?' sometimes.»

He got hurt in the fifth game of the season. The Magic played their 40th on Friday, one shy of the season's midway point.

They did better than most probably expected during Banchero's absence.

The Magic — who have been dealing with a slew of other injuries, Franz Wagner's torn oblique and Moritz Wagner's