Paolo Banchero has made his return to the Orlando Magic lineup Friday night after a 34-game absence due to a torn oblique muscle.

Orlando Magic forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner maintained their top-10 standing in the second returns of NBA All-Star fan voting Thurs.

There is NBA action on Thursday, Jan. 9 that includes a matchup that could feature a major return as the Orlando Magic host the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Kia Center in Orlando, Fla.

Having Banchero back in the mix gives the Magic offense a whole new set of weapons. And if he’s able to return to the form he evidenced in the early stages of the 2024-25 campaign, then he should be able to keep the Magic as one of the best teams in the East as the regular season rapidly approaches its mid-point.

After Wednesday’s historic showdown at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse that saw the Cavs pull away with a 129-122 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, there were no minced words in Cleveland’s locker room of their belief that they should be heavily represented at the All-Star Game in San Francisco.

Former Duke Blue Devils stars have made plays across the NBA all season long, nothing unusual. However, former No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero has been missing for quite a while as he recovers from a torn oblique.