Magic’s Desmond Bane busts slump with buzzer-beating 3 in win
ORLANDO — Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane had missed all five of his previous 3-point attempts on Monday and was shooting just 26% from behind the arc on the season when he hit a 3 he will never forget.
Bane buried his first career game-winning buzzer beater when his twisting-and-falling-away 3 over the outstretched arm of Toumani Camara helped the Magic stun Portland, 115-112, to set off a wild celebration at the Magic arena.
“Probably the best game winner I’ve seen here in the Kia Center,” Orlando star forward Paolo Banchero said.
While Bane finished with 22 points and was just 1-for-6 from 3, continuing an early season trend of shooting struggles for the former Grizzlies star, he hopes the game-winner will help him get back on track with his new team.
“I just want to be a part of winning,” Bane said. “But I think moments like tonight really help you settle in to a new situation.”
As soon as Bane hit the shot in front of the Blazers’ bench, he was mobbed by the entire Magic team. Banchero lifted Bane up before teammates piled onto the guard on the floor.
The Magic (5-6) traded four unprotected first-round picks, a first-round pick swap, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony for Bane last summer, believing the guard is the missing piece to lift the Magic to contention in the East — not only for years to come but this season.
But Orlando began the season 1-4 and have had uneven performances from their stars, including Bane. The shooting guard entered Monday averaging just 14.2 points while shooting a career-worst 29.3% from 3.
On Monday, the Magic led the Blazers by 13 with 8:57 remaining despite not having starting point guard Jalen Suggs, who was held out of the second night of the back-to-back as he continues to ramp up following knee surgery in March.
Orlando was up nine with 2:32 left but watched Portland go on an 11-0 run to take a 112-110 lead with 10.6 seconds left after an alley-oop tip in by Jerami Grant while being fouled by Banchero. This would have been a crushing loss coming off the defeat to Boston on Sunday night.
But Banchero, who missed two free throws a second earlier, answered with a driving layup while being fouled to tie the game at 112-112 with five seconds left. Banchero, though, missed his third straight free throw.
On the ensuing possession, Jrue Holiday drove but lost the ball to Banchero, who called time out. Franz Wagner inbounded the ball with 1.9 seconds left in front of the Blazers bench. Wagner looked for Banchero first but the Blazers had the star covered.
Bane then used a Wendell Carter Jr. screen to free himself off Holiday before he caught the pass, took a dribble and launched his twisting fading rainbow 3 for the win.
“It was a rush of excitement for sure,” said Banchero, who had 28 points. “Especially for me, him saving my ass like that. I didn’t want to make it that excitement.
“He’s a big-time player. He just stayed with it the whole game. Coach drew up a good play, gave us multiple options, found Desmond and he knocked it down.”
According to Basketball-Reference, this was just the fourth game-winning buzzer-beating 3-pointer in Magic history as Bane joined Cole Anthony (2021), Jameer Nelson (2011) and Hedo Turkoglu (2008).
