Jamahl Mosley calls Desmond Bain a ‘dog’ after 37-point performance against Pistons

Desmond Bane he delivered his strongest performance since arriving in Orlando and was the head coach Jamahl Mosley made it clear how important it is. The The Orlando Magic closed out NBA Cup East Group B play with a 112–109 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, fueled by Bayne’s 37-point outburst and a tone-setting approach that Mosley described as a “dog” mentality.

Mosley said Bane set the standard from the moment he stepped on the pitch.

“I told him inside, he just found a way. He just, he’s a dog. He finds a way to catch him,” Mosley said. “He did whatever it took to take this game from start to finish. It actually started for him before the jump start. I think that’s where he was locked in where he was going to set the tone right away.”

Bane finished with 37 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal while shooting 13-for-25 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free throw line over 39 minutes. His assertiveness, physicality and shot creation were at the center of Orlando’s game plan, especially after the Magic’s earlier loss in Detroit on Oct. 29, when Bain struggled with 12 points on 4-for-15 shooting.

“I mean, last time we played here we got punked,” Bain said. “We want to rewrite the story. I spoke to my lady about the chat that happened before the last game and I want to make sure that I am the aggressor.”

Desmond Bane cites his motivation against the Pistons for putting up a dominant performance

He added that both motivation and familiarity fueled his rhythm.

“I just think it’s motivation to play this game. The last time we played them we’re still trying to figure ourselves out as a team and you know, they were chirping and doing what they do, so we wanted to come in and make sure we set the tone tonight.”

Bain described the matchup as postseason intensity, noting that the physicality and urgency reflected the high stakes in NBA Cup group play.

“Yeah, I think the energy and the physicality was similar – there were implications for the game so I’m glad we came out of it with a win and I think that will help us going forward,” Bane said. “I talked to Tyus a little bit about our execution in the fourth quarter down the stretch and some things we can clean up.

The 27-year-old guard has been a significant addition to Orlando’s roster, averaging 18.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 44.1% from the field and a career-best 92.6% from the free throw line in 20 games. The Magic have transformed offensively this season, climbing to seventh place in the NBA with 119.3 points per game after ranking 28th last year.

A magical advance to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup, which will host the Heat at the Kia Center

Orlando’s win over Detroit secured a perfect 4-0 record in East Group B, advancing the team to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup. The The Magic will host the Miami Heat on December 9th at the Kia Center.

“Man, it’s fantastic, you know, we’ve got great fans,” Bain said. “We’re going to need everybody, we’re going to need everybody to show up, come cheer us on and help us progress, get to Vegas. Something we’ve been talking about since we played some of our first cup games and we’re in a good position to make it happen.”

Mosley echoed his excitement about the opportunity to play a high-stakes game in front of his home crowd.

“We’re so happy to be home. I think we have some of the best fans in the NBA and I think they’re going to be back and rooting for us, ready to go,” Mosley said. “We will enjoy this moment because it was a tough game against a tough opponent who played great basketball.”

With the win, the Magic improved to 12-8 and will begin a four-game homestand against the Chicago Bulls on Monday.