Paolo Banchero scores a new career high in the first 50-point game of the NBA season and more from NBA action on Monday

CNN
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Orlando Magic rising star Paolo Banchero had the best game of his young career on Monday, scoring the NBA's first 50-point game of the season in a win over the Indiana Pacers.

2022-23 Rookie of the Year Banchero finished the game with 50 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists while shooting an efficient 61.5% from the floor to give the Magic a 119-115 home win over the Pacers.

The 21-year-old's 37 first-half points tied the Magic's franchise record for points in a half and tied the points scored by the Pacers' entire starting lineup.

Banchero, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, also became the second-youngest player in league history to record a game with 50 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, behind only all-time leading scorer LeBron James.

“Man, I’m tired,” Banchero said, according to ESPN. “I'm incredibly tired, but it was a damn good game.

“It was just about being in the zone. I felt like I was at home in an open gym just working on my game.

“Every shot felt like it was going in and it's a good feeling when you have a day like that. Not every game will be like this, but I’m glad it was like this today.”

Banchero was joined by Magic teammate Jalen Suggs with 25 points, five rebounds and seven assists as Orlando improved to 3-1 to start the season.

For the Pacers, Pascal Siakam scored a team-high 26 points with nine rebounds and four assists.

Indiana star Tyrese Halilburton continued to improve after a slow start to the season with 19 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists, but the Pacers fell to 1-3.

Defending champion Celtics continued to start the season undefeated

The Boston Celtics (4-0) extended their perfect start to the season with a hard-fought 119:108 home win against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The game was a tense affair until Payton Pritchard hit a long-range buzzer-beater – something fans have become accustomed to from the diminutive guard – extending the Celtics' lead to eight at the end of the third quarter before the team moved on A 7-0 run at the start of the fourth period brought the game to an end.

Pritchard finished the game with 28 points on 8 of 12 shooting from downtown and was the vital spark for the Celtics in a balanced first half.

Jaylen Brown scored a team-high 30 points for the Celtics, but his running mate Jason Tatum struggled with 15 points on 37.5% shooting.

The loss continues a difficult start to the season for the Bucks, who are now 1-3 after three straight losses.

The decision to name Doc Rivers head coach last season after Adrian Griffin was fired caused a stir that the team's early performances are unlikely to diminish.

Damian Lillard scored a game-high 33 points for the Bucks with seven rebounds and seven assists, while Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

The Phoenix Suns ended the Los Angeles Lakers' undefeated start to the season and avenged their opening loss with a 109:105 home win.

The Suns trailed by as many as 18 points after a lethargic start in the first quarter, but fought back thanks to a game-high 33 points from Devin Booker and 30 from Kevin Durant.

For the Lakers, Anthony Davis led the way with 29 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks, but it was a quiet game for superstar LeBron James, who finished with just 11 points and a 21.4% shooting rate.

The Lakers will be disappointed that they blew a seven-point lead heading into Game 4, where they were down 11 points, but it was still an impressive start to the season for first-year head coach JJ Reddick.