Desmond Bane delivered a standout performance, matching his season high with 37 points, leading the Orlando Magic to a 117-108 victory over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night. This win propels the Magic into the NBA Cup semifinals, where they will face either New York or Toronto on Saturday in Las Vegas.
In addition to Bane’s impressive scoring, Jalen Suggs contributed 20 points, while Paolo Banchero supported the team with 18 points and seven rebounds. The Magic’s victory marks their advance in the tournament amid a challenging season.
For the Heat, Norman Powell was the top scorer with 21 points, closely followed by Tyler Herro with 20 points. Both Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins chipped in 19 points each, but the team could not overcome their struggles from beyond the arc, finishing with a poor shooting percentage of 24.2% from three-point range. Herro notably missed all six of his attempts, including a crucial open shot that could have reduced the deficit in the final moments of the game.
The Magic managed to build on their lead in the fourth quarter, with Bane hitting two 3-pointers and converting a three-point play early on, extending their margin from six to 13 points. Miami was unable to recover, never getting the margin under nine until the final minute.
This game also marked a significant moment for the Magic, as they played without Franz Wagner due to a high ankle sprain, with expectations that he will be out for several weeks.
Looking ahead, the Heat will compete against the losing team from the New York-Toronto matchup in a regular-season game, while the Magic prepares to take on the winner of that same contest in the semifinals.