Desmond Bane took over the NBA Cup quarterfinal playoff series won by the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, Dec. 9, after the Miami Heat got off to a perfect start with a demoralizing 0-15 run.
With a score of 117-108, the Magic became the first semifinalist of the Cup, whose final four will begin on Saturday in Las Vegas. The Magic’s opponent in Las Vegas will be the Toronto Raptors and the New York Knicks.
Heat off to a perfect start
VEGAS BOUND pic.twitter.com/3bnLv86Sbk
– Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) December 10, 2025
The Magic had to face the playoffs without Franz Wagner, their best player this season, who was injured Sunday in a bad fall at Madison Square Garden.
Miami took advantage of this important setback to come out all guns blazing, going on a devastating 0-15 run led by Andrew Wiggins and Norman Powell.
The Heat missed their first shot with 2-18 on the scoreboard.
Despite this impressive start, Miami’s lead never exceeded 16 points. Jamahl Mosley knew how to organize his men, who stopped the bleeding in the first quarter.
Desmond Bane, Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs took the reins in a second quarter in which Orlando scored 39 points and pulverized Miami’s lead, even taking the lead.
At halftime, the score was 56-57 for Miami.
Erik Spoelstra’s men still played the first few minutes of the second half, but as time went on they fell apart.
Bane scored another 10 points and the Magic began to believe in a win even with Wagner out.
The score at the end of the third quarter was 89-83.
Bane opened the final period with the Magic’s first 9 points with two three-pointers and a 2+1.
The former Grizzlies player scored 15 in the fourth quarter for a total of 37.
Orlando got to within +14 and had excellent time management, running out of possessions and scoring points to the helplessness of Spoelstra and his men.
“Jonathan Isaac came into the game and changed it for us right from the start, and from there we never looked back,” said Bane on sealing the win, crediting his teammate for the Magic’s comeback.
Bane finished the game with 37 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, Suggs contributed another 20 points, Banchero 18 points and 7 rebounds, while Wendell Carter Jr. signed a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.
For the Heat, Powell scored 21 points, Tyler Herro 20 and Wiggins and Bam Adebayo 19 each.
It will be the Magic’s debut in the NBA Cup Final Four, in an edition in which they have yet to lose a game.
Last year they also reached the quarterfinals, but lost to the eventual champions, the Milwaukee Bucks.
Filed under: Orlando Magic advance in the NBA Cup
With information from EFE
