Desmond Bane’s 37-point masterclass helped the Orlando Magic secure a spot in the NBA Cup’s semi-final after beating the Miami Heat 117-108. With the clock winding down in their final possession of the night, Bane started celebrating with a little less than two seconds left in the game, which the Heat players did not seem to appreciate.
While celebrating alone would still be acceptable, he passed the ball to Norman Powell after the final possession and started clapping in front of Powell’s face, which seemed as if he were taunting the Heat player and his team.
Desmond Bane taunting Miami as the seconds wind down.
This man chooses violence 💀pic.twitter.com/Mq2G9HFt9c
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 10, 2025
Bane finished the game with 37 points, six rebounds, five assists, and one steal while shooting 14-of-24 (58.3%) from the field and 6-of-9 (66.6%) from the three-point range. The Magic guard scored 15 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter to end the Heat’s hopes of heading to Vegas.
Following the game, Bane spoke to the media and hilariously explained how he motivated himself to be clutch tonight. He referred to the $35,000 fine that the league imposed on him for ‘unsportmanlike’ conduct with OG Anunoby.
“Oh, it’s huge, man. I mean, I just lost $35,000. So I got to go get it back somehow. You know what I’m saying? But, I’m excited. Great opportunity for us to play some meaningful basketball early in the season. So, I know the group’s excited,” said Bane.
NBA Cup money is also reaching some exorbitant levels. Every player who would be eliminated at the quarter-finals level will receive $53,093. Similarly, they would receive $106,187 and $212,373 if they are eliminated in the semi-finals and the championship game, respectively. Ultimately, every player who wins the championship guarantees himself $530,933.
“I just thought our spirit was in the right spot. You know, I don’t think anybody really hung their head. Understood that we had to get back to our identity: smash-mouth basketball on both sides of the floor, and once we started playing that way, everything started turning for us. So we just rode that trend all the way through,” Bane said initially on how the Magic bounced back from their loss to the Knicks.
The Magic will get a rematch of their loss to the Knicks, who have beaten the Raptors 117-101 in the other quarter-finals and would thus face each other in the Eastern semi-finals on Saturday, December 13. Do you think Bane and the Magic can get their revenge on the Knicks and proceed to the championship game? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
