There seemed to be more relief and exasperation than anything else when Paolo Banchero finally got a shot to go down.
He drove into the paint in the fourth quarter, absorbed some contact and seemed to trip, throwing the shot to the rim as he got the foul. He stayed on the floor as if to visibly say, "Finally," after a game full of missed shots and frustration from the floor.
This looked like the superstar Banchero the Orlando Magic were trying to rely on this season.
That seemed to awaken his offense. Suddenly, he seemed to be moving and attacking with force, getting to the rim with confidence and energy. After a game of seemingly being passive on the ball -- but still making a lot of the right plays -- Banchero looked like the star that could lead the Magic.
Suddenly, Orlando cut an 18-point lead down to six in about four minutes with a 15-3 run. Banchero had seven points in that run, including that exasperated and-1. The Magic suddenly look like they could steal this game against the vaunted Denver Nuggets team.
The margin for error was too small. Nikola Jokic iced the game with a cross-court pass to Cameron Johnson for a back-breaking three in a 126-115 Denver Nuggets win.
It was a missed opportunity, even with an undermanned roster. The only silver lining might have been the way their star player finally showed out, recording his third career triple-double with 26 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists.
That should be a moment to celebrate a star finally looking like a star after recovering from an injury. A sign of hope in what has been, at times, a frustrating season.
Instead, it left only more questions. It was a clear sign of the impact Banchero can have and how immensely talented he is. The Magic are at their best when Banchero is at his best.
At the same time, it seemed to be the empty calorie stats his critics accuse him off. Most of his assists came with the Magic already behind. He struggled to make any shot outside of the paint.
His efforts only closed the gap. They did not get the team over the top as he watched the Nuggets take control with a 25-7 second-quarter run that flipped a 14-point Magic lead into a 14-point deficit.
Fair or not, all eyes are on Banchero as the Magic try to navigate a host of injuries and play without Franz Wagner. Banchero has become a lightning rod of criticism. Wins and losses fall on his shoulders.
He is also the player that ultimately sets this team's ceiling. They will go as far as he can take them.
Under the microscope
Fairly or not, the spotlight is on Paolo Banchero every time he touches the floor.
That is the price of being the No. 1 pick and a max player. That is why there is a healthy obsession with him and everything he does.
It is why even a triple-double does not feel like it is enough. The Magic need Banchero to help them win at the highest levels. That means understanding the right moments to be the decoy and get othes involved and knowing when to impose himself on the game.
It is that balance that Banchero is still learning in his career. And it is finding that balance that could catapult the Magic.
That is a balance that Nikola Jokic, who recorded a 23-point, 11-rebound, 13-assist triple-double (with six turnovers), understands all too well. Even with far fewer points and several more mistakes, Jokic was the center of gravity for the Denver Nuggets. His fingerprints were all over the game.
Banchero is still discovering that balance.
Eight of his 10 assists came in the second with the Magic already facing a deficit. He shot just 1 for 6 during the tell-tale second quarter, unable to settle his team down or give them the shot that would stop the bleeding.
He finished 9 for 21, finding a scoring groove with 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting in the fourth quarter. But he failed to make a shot outside of the paint.
Banchero is making the right play more often. He seems to understand his limitations as he returns from injury. But Banchero is certainly critical of himself. He knows he must do more.
"I tried to be aggressive and make plays for others," Banchero said after Thursday's game. "I didn't play as well as I wanted to in terms of knocking shots down. I tried to give a great effort."
It is good to see Banchero fitting in better. He is holding the ball less and genuinely trying to keep the ball moving as it did when he was out and the Magic's offense was humming. The triple-double was a sign of Banchero's willingness to find his fit on offense.
On the road back
Then again, it is perfectly fair to remain patient with Paolo Banchero. And Thursday's game, for all of its frustrations, was yet another sign of progress as he returns from a strained groin that caused him to miss three weeks of the season.
Banchero has improved his scoring in all five of his games, culminating in this all-around performance and a triple-double. He is doing better with the attention he is receiving and not forcing very much, aside from a few shots in that second quarter.
"I think he was just continuing to be aggressive, trying to make plays, finding the right situations to get his teammates involved," Coach Jamahl Mosley said after Thursday's loss. "These guys were flooding and loading to him and to the ball. His ability to make the right play in those moments will continue to be big for us with his aggression."
The Magic are willing to acknowledge that Banchero is not up and running at full speed. But he is getting there quickly.
They are giving him more minutes and he is making more positive plays in general. Thursday was another sign of what he can be as an all-around player.
With all the injuries the Magic are facing, though, they will need more.
Ultimately, the Magic invested in Banchero because he can be the player that makes those tough shots in the Playoffs and understands the right time to impose his will and the right time to use his attention to get others shots.
That understanding has been on display more and more throughout the season. Banchero's most impactful games have come when he soaks up attention to get others shots. His scoring will come naturally.
But that has not been consistent. With a major disruption in the middle of his season, Banchero is still clearly getting his legs back under him.
Banchero has struggled to reach his peak this season.
And the Magic are not going anywhere without Banchero reaching that peak.