Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane has a killer shot to add to his highlight real. In the final seconds of Monday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Bane broke the tie with a game-winning, buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
With the game tied at 112-112, and with less than two seconds remaining, Magic guard Franz Wagner inbounded the ball to Bane, who made a leaping shot in the final miliseconds.
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The reaction from the home crowd, and from Bane’s teammates, was instant.
After an even matchup, the Magic started to pull away from the Trail Blazers in the third quarter. But Portland outscored Orlando 36-28 in the fourth quarter to get even, and nearly forced overtime — until Bane hit the dagger to end it.
Bane ended with 22 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists. Magic forward Paolo Banchero led the team with a near double-double, with 28 points and nine rebounds.
Bane’s game-winner injects some life into what’s otherwise been a slow start for the Magic. Orlando is 5-6 after Monday’s win. It started the season losing four of its first five games.
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It’s the fourth game-winning buzzer-beater this season, per Basketball Reference, though Bane’s marks the first buzzer-beating 3 of the year. Los Angeles Lakers forward Austin Reaves opened the stats with a buzzer-beating floater against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 29, giving the Lakers the win after being down a point.
Two days later, Kawhi Leonard did the same for the Los Angeles Clippers, leading the team over the New Orleans Pelicans with a long 2-pointer. And on Nov. 3, Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo hit a walk-off jumper to silence the Indiana Pacers’ home crowd.
