Desmond Bane was brought in by the Orlando Magic for nights like this.
After struggling through the first two games of the Magic’s first-round series against the Detroit Pistons, Bane responded with his best performance of the series so far, helping Orlando seize control.
The eighth-seeded Magic beat the top-seeded Pistons, 113–105, to take a 2–1 series lead, and Bane was right at the center of it with 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting, seven three-pointers, seven rebounds, and a steal in 38 minutes.
Bane had been out of rhythm to begin the series, shooting a combined 9-of-31 from the field through Games 1 and 2. His three-point shooting was even more troubling, as he hit only three of his first 15 attempts from beyond the arc. Orlando traded for him in the offseason precisely for the postseason, so his early struggles were indeed difficult to ignore.
He finally pulled through in Game 3 though as he set the tone early by scoring 14 points in the first half. He stretched the floor, kept Detroit’s defense on its toes, and helped Orlando build enough separation to survive a late Pistons push.
His seven made threes also earned him a place in franchise territory, making him just the second Magic player to hit seven triples in a playoff game, joining Dennis Scott who did it in 1995.
Bane is supposed to be Orlando’s stabilizer and finally played like it.
He entered this series as the Magic’s most experienced playoff performer, having appeared in 27 postseason games during his time with the Memphis Grizzlies before coming to Orlando. That experience is exactly what this young team needs around young stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, especially in a series against the East’s top seed. Bane does not need to carry the Magic every night, but he does need to be a constant threat and stabilizing force, especially in tight contests.
Orlando led by 17, 96–79, with 8:34 remaining before Detroit stormed back and briefly took a 105–104 lead with 2:52 to play. The Magic could have easily unraveled at that point, especially on the road against the East’s top seed. Instead, they steadied themselves as Wagner scored five straight points to retake control.
Despite the 2-1 lead, the Magic are still very much the underdogs in this series, but they no longer look overwhelmed by the moment. With Banchero and Wagner leading the way and Bane finally finding his rhythm, Orlando has a real chance to make this far more than a competitive first-round showing—they might just make it to the second round for the first time since 2010.
