The Orlando Magic trailed 15-0 on Tuesday night in the NBA Cup quarterfinal round to the Miami Heat.
That's when Desmond Bane took over.
And by the end of the night, the Magic had made up for their early stumble and won, 117-108. Bane was the story of the evening.
Bane dropped 37 points, making 14-of-24 shots from the floor, including 6-for-9 in a blistering showing from beyond the 3-point line.
He finished at the rim through contact and showed patience on multiple different pump fake moves beyond the arc to free himself up for shots.
Bane added six rebounds and five assists as he stepped up in the absence of Franz Wagner, who is out with a left leg injury.
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After the game, Bane gave a simple explanation for why he had been so motivated.
“I just lost $35,000," he told reporters. "I gotta go get it back somehow.”
Bane is referencing the amount he was fined for throwing the basketball at Knicks forward OG Anunoby in the Magic's most recent game.
Each advancement in the NBA Cup is worth money (more than $35,000, so Bane even has some spare change when all is said and done).
The Magic will take on the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday in Las Vegas. Bane and Anunoby will be right back out there on the floor against one another. Should make for some good drama.
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