All NBA scores
Heat @ Magic : 108-117
Knicks @ Raptors : 117-101
– « I just lost $35,000 so I have to get it back somehow. » Fined for snapping and throwing the ball at OG Anunoby during a recent duel with the Knicks, Desmond Bane made up for it by propelling the Magic to the semi-finals of the NBA Cup, a competition whose winner pockets half a million dollars. Orlando’s star recruit of the offseason dominated the Florida derby by scoring 37 points against Miami (117-108).
His hot shot at the start of the fourth quarter, namely two winning baskets then a three-point action in the space of two minutes, increased the gap from 6 to 13 points in favor of the Magic. Bane added 5 rebounds and 6 assists to add even more depth to his performance. He was the strong man of his team by assuming leadership and scoring in the absence of Franz Wagner, injured in the ankle and out for two to four weeks.
The Heat started the game with a 15-0 lead but Erik Spoelstra’s players died down afterward.
– It is precisely the Knicks and Anunoby that Bane’s Magic will find in the next round. New York is the only team in the league to have appeared in the NBA Cup quarterfinals in each of the three editions of the tournament. But the Manhattan franchise had not yet managed to reach the Final Four. A ticket now validated after the victory on the floor of Toronto (101-117) last night.
Jalen Brunson guided his team by scoring 26 of his 35 points in the first period. The Knicks returned to the locker room with a 17-point lead at the break, taking advantage of a catastrophic second quarter from the Raptors. They missed 13 of their first 15 shots to let their opponents widen the gap. Brandon Ingram scored 31 points but the absence of RJ Barrett was felt again and things are less good in Ontario. Toronto has lost 6 of its last 7 matches.
