Magic's Paolo Banchero, fresh from 50-point game, out indefinitely with oblique tear | Orlando magic

The Orlando Magic announced Thursday that forward Paolo Banchero is out indefinitely after suffering a torn right oblique muscle.

The 21-year-old star will be evaluated again in four to six weeks. Banchero was injured in the fourth quarter of Orlando's 102-99 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

Banchero leads the Magic in scoring (29 points per game) and assists (5.6) after an excellent first five games of the season.

In the season opener, a 116-97 win over the Miami Heat, he scored 33 points and 11 rebounds, joining former franchise stars Shaquille O'Neal and Tracy McGrady as the only Orlando players to record 30 points and 10 in an opening game Reached rebounds.

Then on Monday, Banchero scored a career-high 50 points in a 119-115 win against the Indiana Pacers. He also grabbed 13 rebounds and added nine assists, making him the second-youngest player in NBA history to score 50 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game (behind LeBron James in 2005).

Banchero added 31 points on Wednesday, becoming the third player (O'Neal and McGrady) to average 40 points over a two-game span in franchise history.

Banchero, who was named to the All-Star team last season, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by Orlando. He has averaged 21.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 157 career games.