Red hot, Desmond Bane sends the Magic to Las Vegas

It’s hard to have a start as good as that of Heat : 15-0! One of the best offenses in the league lives up to its reputation, and the cannonballing of Tyler Hero, Andrew Wiggins and Norman Powell never stops. THE Magicstartled, he tries to react by approaching the circle or going to the line, because 3 points are rare, but it is barely enough (30-17).

The balance of power then reverses in the second quarter. Orlando is starting to find his shooting positions and his prowess from behind the arc, with Jalen Suggs and especially Desmond Bain leading the rebellion. Wendell Carter Jr. and Anthony Black also stand out, as does Paolo Banchero, and the aggressiveness of the locals at the end once again fuels the suspense. The latter even take advantage. But Miamiless in rhythm and physically pushed, he holds his own (57-56).

We sense Magic getting the upper hand on its neighbor as the timer ticks down (and runs again). His collective, led by Desmond Bain, with Paolo Buncher and Jaylen Suggs as the first relays, is there and the outside shots fall inside more often. The Heat, struggling to defend properly, are holding on as best they can with Tyler Herr, Bama Adebayo or Norman Powell making mistakes, but the whole thing remains fragile (89-83).

Hot, Desmond Bain is there to beat Miami at the start of the fourth quarter: he initiates a 9-2 run that increases the deficit to +13. A “run” that would prove fatal to his opponents, as he would not recover. Aggressive, Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins can do everything to restart the machine, Orlando does not tremble, despite the loss of the ball, and quietly confirms this precious success (117-108).

Hero of the evening? Desmond Bane of course, with his 37 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, 14/24 shooting (including 6/9 on 3-pointers)! We could also notice that when it was an away address, the Magic were a completely different team…

TO BE REMEMBERED

– Desmond Bain “in the zone”. Desmond Bane is fine is quickly and well digested. He scored 37 points for the third time this season with Orlando, and each time it resulted in a victory. Without Franz Wagner and with Paolo Bancher limited, the full-back knew what was expected. More later 5 point output (and 2/16…) against Miami last Friday. Unsustainable in the final act, with 15 points and a run that stunned the Heat, he exploded the 3-point defense. Magic brought him to this and, when he plays with such confidence, you can truly say that Desmond transforms into a “Demon”.

– Go to the Final Four for Orlando. This is the Magic’s third win against the Heat this season, and this one is certainly the most important, as it ensures Jamal Mosley’s men a place in the semi-finals of the NBA Cup. The first for the franchise since the creation of this tournament in the season and it gives him a ticket to Las Vegas (as well as a bigger bonus). See you Saturday night, against New York or Toronto.

– The problem of flooring and weather in the Kia Center. Damaged during storage, the “special NBA Cup” Magic pod could not be installed for this matchup against the Heat. Another problem: this original sequence at the end of the first quarter where, due to the lack of a functioning clock, the speaker in the room started announcing the seconds left on the clock. Before things finally get back to normal. Some will notice that Miami kind of started to lose its spirit after a few minutes of intermission.

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How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / 3 points in an attempt; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Difference of points when the player is on the field; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.