Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane was ejected in less than six minutes left in the third quarter of their 127-112 loss to the Atlanta Hawks after incurring a flagrant and technical foul during a fastbreak play.
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Onyeka Okongwu caught a long pass from Jalen Johnson, and as the Atlanta Hawks center went up for a shot, Bane yanked his arm to pull him down before using his free hand to spike the ball onto Okongwu. During the postgame interview, the Orlando Magic guard told reporters that he was “very surprised” with the call.
“A hard foul. I mean, we talk about that, you know, no easy baskets, nothing at the rim, making them see the lights,” Bane said via Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede. “A hard foul, I swiped at the ball, and it happened to hit him. And they made the call that they made. Yeah, I was very surprised. I thought, I mean… I wasn’t expecting anything beyond a foul, honestly.”
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Bane had another rough outing, as he finished with only nine points, three rebounds, and two assists on 2-for-6 shooting from the field in 23 minutes of action.
Orlando Magic News: Jalen Suggs reflects on the team’s latest defeat
Following yesterday’s loss, the Orlando Magic dropped to 3-5 to start the 2025-26 NBA campaign, and Jalen Suggs lamented the team’s lack of readiness during the postgame locker room interview with the media.
“They just came out and performed better,” Suggs said of the Atlanta Hawks. “The credit goes out to them for being ready to come out and play.”
“We’ve just got to play some better basketball, to be honest,” he added. “We’ve got to withstand runs, withstand some adversity, get it flowing, find our groove, find our swag. I think all of it’s just a little off right now.”
