Paolo Banchero is not a patient person.

The Orlando Magic forward admits he’s been frustrated for much of the past two and a half months while recovering from a torn oblique muscle that kept him out of the lineup for 34 games.

But on Friday he finally came back. The team announced that Banchero would be in Orlando’s lineup for the game against the Milwaukee Bucks – and to say he was eager to go would be an understatement.

“I don’t think I was in a bad mood at all,” Banchero said of his return in an interview with The Associated Press. “But it’s frustrating. You know, I’ve never missed so much time since I started playing basketball. Not playing for so long, I mean, I was so ready for the season and then getting into the season so early, it’s just fun.” Ask “Why?” Sometimes.”

He was injured in the fifth game of the year. The Magic played their 40th game on Friday, just shy of the halfway point of the season.

During Banchero’s absence they performed better than most likely would have been expected.

The Magic — who have battled a slew of other injuries, including Franz Wagner’s torn oblique ligament and Moritz Wagner’s season-ending ACL tear — finished in fourth place in the Eastern Conference on Friday. They lost their first four games without Banchero, going 19-11.

“The whole team believes in each other, that anyone can step up at any time,” said Banchero. “Guys put in the work to be ready for the moment. And you could see that when different people performed every night. I was just really encouraged to see how we reacted like that. Guys that have that experience and come through. “Close games, close games against good teams, that’s only going to make us better.

Banchero was not forced out of the team due to his injury. He sometimes took part in coaching meetings and always sat on the bench with his teammates during games, sometimes cheering them on, sometimes comforting them.

“I had to try to find the positive,” Banchero said. “I was able to sit by and watch and just learn the game through a different lens. But I definitely have a chip on my shoulder now. It feels like some things I had have been taken away from me for a while. And “Now that I’m back, I might have to make up for lost time.”