MVP of the night
A few hours after receiving a $35,000 fine for violently throwing the ball at OG Anunobi, Desmond Bane reminded that it was not just temperament. He is also a great basketball player, very close to the All-Star game for several seasons, and last night he destroyed the Heat with 37 points on 14 of 24 shooting for 117-108 win against the Heat in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup.
As the Magic went on a violent 15-0 run to start the game and then led 34-20, Bane sounded defiant. In 11 seconds, Bane made a three-pointer, then stopped a counterattack and sent Tristan Silva into the circle, to score with a foul. And-1 is confirmed, and Magic is only eight points behind.
Mr. 37 points
« Once it got going, it became unmanageable », summarizes Erik Spoelstra, while Bane signs his third performance with 37 points in six matches!
“I just think our mindset was right”, Bane reports. “I don’t think anybody put their heads down. We realized we had to get back to our identity: basketball that hits hard in the face on both ends of the court. When we started playing like that again, everything went in our favor. We surfed it to the end.”
Criticized for poor gestures against the Hawks and Knicks, Desmond Bain is still considered a “nice guy.” His teammates and coaches keep saying he’s a charming boy. But as soon as he steps onto the field, it’s not the same.
“I’m so impressed with him as a basketball player, obviously, but also as a person.”believes for example Jonathan Isaac. “I can handle this complicated start and what people can say… It’s obvious that he has an inner strength, a lot of confidence and a lot of composure.”
“I just lost $35,000, I have to get it back one way or another…”
And then Bane is a tenant. At the end of the match, he gave the match point to Norman Powell and that raised the mood. And at the press conference, he joked about his punishment and the bonus paid in the NBA Cup. “I just lost $35,000, I have to get it back one way or another…”
On a more serious note, he doesn’t forget to thank the franchise for going to Memphis and betting so much on him. He feels in charge. “It’s a great feeling to know that this organization values me enough to spend so much to have me. But as soon as I got there, they told me to be myself. When they tell you that, all the pressure goes away, because I know who I am and what I can bring to the team. So I’m just going to keep doing that.”
2025-12-10 06:51:00
