During Tuesday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane was removed from the game in the latter half following an incident where he threw a ball in the direction of Onyeka Okongwu’s head, ultimately contributing to their defeat.
In the third quarter at State Farm Arena, Bane was pursuing Okongwu during a fast break when he committed a foul against the Hawks forward. Bane made contact with Okongwu’s arm, causing him to fall to the ground, which initially resulted in the foul. Subsequently, Bane managed to secure the ball and propel it towards Okongwu, who was already on the ground.
That action initiated a minor confrontation near the basket, but officials quickly intervened to regain control.
Bane received a flagrant one foul for the initial foul on Okongwu, followed by a technical foul for throwing the ball, leading to his ejection. He concluded the game with nine points and three rebounds. At the time of the incident, the Magic were trailing by 14 points. The Hawks then proceeded to secure a 127-112 victory.
Following the game, Bane expressed his “surprise” at being ejected.
“[It was] a physical foul. I mean, we emphasize that, you know, prevent easy baskets, defend the rim aggressively, make them feel the pressure,” he stated, according to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. “A hard foul, I reached for the ball and it inadvertently hit him. And they made the decision that they made.”
It remains uncertain whether Bane will face any additional disciplinary action from the league.
Bane, who has been involved in several similar intense situations throughout his career, was traded to the Magic in June as part of a significant deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. Last season in Memphis, where he began his career after being selected No. 30 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft from TCU, Bane averaged 19.2 points and 6.1 rebounds while maintaining a shooting percentage of nearly 40% from beyond the arc.
However, the 27-year-old has experienced a downturn in performance over the past week. He has been limited to single-digit points in Orlando’s last three games, converting only 3 of 9 attempts from beyond the arc in total.
Zaccharie Risacher led the Hawks to victory with 21 points, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributed 20 points. All five of their starters reached double figures, contributing to their season record of 4-4. For the Magic, Paolo Banchero nearly achieved a triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. Tristan da Silva added 20 points as a substitute player.
The Magic, now with a season record of 3-5, are scheduled to host the Boston Celtics on Friday.
