Paolo Banchero, Jamal Mosley rave about Desmond Bain’s influence

The The Orlando Magic opened their 2025-26 season with a win on Tuesday night, defeating the Miami Heat 125-121 at the Kia Center. The debut of the veteran defender Desmond Bane stole much of the limelight and immediately earned praise from the stars up front Paolo Banchero and head coach Jamahl Mosley after his first game in a Magic uniform.

Bane was acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies this offseasonhe scored 23 points with four rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 33 minutes. He shot 7-for-18 from the field, 3-for-6 from beyond the arc and 6-for-6 from the free throw line, playing a key role in helping Orlando close out Miami in a high-scoring contest.

Banchero, who led the Magic with 24 points, 11 rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block on 7-of-17 shooting, said Bain’s aggressive approach and confidence fit seamlessly into Orlando’s system.

“He’s just been himself and that’s what we’ve asked of him since the day he got here,” Banchero said. “Just chase his shots, be aggressive and let it fly. We trust him with the ball in his hands (and) whatever he decides to do with it, so I thought he played great.”

Paolo Banchero and Jamal Mosley praise Desmond Bain’s leadership

Mosley echoed that sentimenthighlighting Bane’s leadership and composure at key moments.

“Well, he brings composure, but he also brings toughness — his ability to rally guys in the huddle,” Mosley said. “You saw him rally the group down the stretch, I think he brought the guys at 4:30. Jaylen was there and he got the crowd going and Desmond brought it all and I think his ability to do that for this group speaks volumes. And he also makes the right play, putting the ball in his hands down the stretch – he can handle it, him and Paolo get it out … guys down the stretch so they can have a good time they play for each other.”

Bain rounded out the all-around offensive output for Orlando in his debut performance, as Franz Wagner matched Buncher’s 24 points while adding six assists, four rebounds and two steals on 9-of-17 shooting. Wagner also addressed Bain’s impact, praising his competitive edge and unselfishness.

“I was just talking about Bain, not just as a player, but that play shows his character — he’s a great scorer, but he really wants to win and play that type of game,” Wagner said, referring to Bain’s late-game rebound. “Like I said, you don’t know which play is going to win the game.”

A balanced scoring trio gives the Magic strength past heats, highlighting the team’s depth and versatility

The trio of Banchero, Bane and Wagner combined for 71 points, marking just the second time in franchise history that three Magic players scored 20 or more points in an opening night game. The only the second instance came on October 19, 2022in Detroit, when Banchero, Jalen Suggs and Wagner each scored 20 points.

For Mosley, the new scoring balance highlights Orlando’s growing depth and versatility.

“Those are very good problems to have,” Mosley said. “I mean, you see down the stretch we’re trying to find a matchup — we’re going to Paolo and Desmond in the pick-and-roll, when we usually go to Franco and Paolo in the pick-and-roll. Jaylen’s out there, he’s making a big play. That says a lot about guys not being afraid of the moment and trusting each other enough to make the right play and make the right play. That’s the beauty of this team — our depth, our the togetherness and focus we have to continue to work for each other.”

Banchero says the expectations are ‘exciting’ as the Magic look to build on their first win

Banchero, now in his fourth NBA season, said the addition of Bain has raised both the team’s confidence and expectations.

“The anticipation is exciting, the pressure is exciting,” Banchero said. “It’s a privilege for people to think or have high expectations of your team and I think we just want to embrace that here. I wouldn’t say it was our best performance, but we were able to still grind out a win and stay together. There was a lot of good, too, so … to go back and look at what we can think about and take the good and take the good and I was better and I was better than that. for us.”

Wagner shared a similar perspective, noting that offseason additions sharpened the team’s thinking.

“Obviously with the moves we made this summer, our urgency is at an all-time high,” Wagner said. “A lot of guys that we’ve added to the field not only with their style of play, but their demeanor, their character, I think is a perfect fit for us with what we need. And add that to a really talented group that’s all gotten a lot better over the summer, I’m excited about what we can do.”

With the home opener now behind them, the team will look to build on their early momentum when they host the Atlanta Hawks (0-1) on Friday night at 7:00 PM ET to continue their three-game homestand.