Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero said he looked inward after missing the NBA All-Star Game rather than placing blame on coaches or the league, and the self-assessment has fueled one of the stronger individual stretches in the Eastern Conference.

"I know I'm an All-Star in this league," Banchero told Andscape. "It's about being honest with yourself and realizing that you didn't really deserve to be an All-Star, honestly. It's about taking that with a grain of salt and being better in the second half of the season."

Since the All-Star break, Banchero is averaging 26.2 points on 50.8 percent shooting, 9.2 rebounds and 5.7 assists with a PER of 21.0 across 10 games. He is one of four players alongside Jaylen Brown, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic averaging at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in that span. The Magic are 10-4 in his past 14 games.

Banchero has also taken on expanded defensive responsibilities in the absence of starters Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, guarding elite scorers including Doncic, Cade Cunningham and LeBron James.

"It's me accepting the challenge," Banchero said. "You're not going to stop them from scoring, but you can make it hard on them."

Desmond Bane has amplified Orlando's surge, averaging 20.4 points per game in his first Magic season. He and Banchero are combining for 50.4 points per game since the break.

Wagner, who has missed 25 of Orlando's last 29 games with a left high ankle sprain, is expected to return before the playoffs. The Magic entered Wednesday seventh in the East at 7-3 since the break, pushing for a top-six seed.

"We've had two years of experience of losing in the first round," Banchero said. "We don't want to taste that again."