The Bane of the Miami Heat: Magic guard stars as Orlando completes comeback to book Vegas semifinal

The Orlando Magic flipped the script in dramatic fashion, punching their ticket to the 2025 NBA Cup semifinals after grinding out a 117-108 win over the Heat.

The game came in three clear acts. Miami dominated the opening four minutes, Orlando controlled the final stretch of nearly half an hour, and the middle portion was a steep uphill climb that tested every ounce of the Magic’s energy.

Bane takes center stage

As in any great series, one star stole the spotlight. This time it was Desmond Bane. Orlando’s marquee offseason addition, who cost two players and four first-round picks, has steadily taken on a larger role and has now scored 37 points in three of his last six games. This matchup was another showcase.

Bane and the rest of the Magic started flat as Miami opened with a 15-0 run. The Heat built a 16-point lead in barely four minutes, going up 20-4 while Orlando struggled to find its footing. The Magic settled in, knowing they had a long road ahead, and began chipping away. What was a 30-17 deficit after one quarter became a manageable 41-37 midway through the second.

Orlando flips the scoreboard

With four minutes left before halftime, Orlando finally completed the comeback, taking a 47-46 lead after outscoring Miami 43-26 over a 16-minute span. Bane fueled the surge with 12 of his 37 points. The game leveled out from there. Orlando looked drained from the chase while Miami reeled from the punch it had just absorbed.

Bane’s burst decides the fourth

The final period broke the game open for Orlando. Bane struck quickly, pouring in 11 points in the first four minutes and finishing with 15 in the quarter. His scoring burst pushed the Magic from a 92-83 lead to a commanding 103-89 advantage that Miami could not overcome.

Bane was the headliner, but not the only key contributor. Jalen Suggs scored 20 and Paolo Banchero added 18 as the Magic clinched their first appearance in the NBA Cup semifinals. Waiting in Las Vegas on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET will be the New York Knicks.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

Orlando Magic

Stats

5 Paolo Banchero
3 Desmond Bane
35 Goga Bitadze
0 Anthony Black
8 Jamal Cain
34 Wendell Carter Jr.
23 Tristan da Silva
13 Jett Howard
1 Jonathan Isaac
2 Tyus Jones
93 Noah Penda
11 Jase Richardson
4 Jalen Suggs
7 Orlando Robinson

Stats

	Min	Pts	TR	OR	DR	Ast	Los	Rec	Blk	S1	S2	S3	RF	CF	Val
5 Paolo Banchero	32	18	7	1	6	4	3	0	1	6/7	3/8	2/5	0	3	0
3 Desmond Bane	38	37	6	1	5	5	1	1	0	3/3	8/15	6/9	0	4	0
35 Goga Bitadze	17	7	6	1	5	1	2	0	2	1/1	3/4	0/0	0	2	0
0 Anthony Black	34	10	3	1	2	7	2	1	1	0/0	5/13	0/2	0	3	0
8 Jamal Cain	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
34 Wendell Carter Jr.	30	14	10	2	8	3	0	1	1	0/0	4/5	2/3	0	2	0
23 Tristan da Silva	27	11	7	0	7	2	3	0	0	1/1	2/5	2/4	0	2	0
13 Jett Howard	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
1 Jonathan Isaac	12	0	3	0	3	0	0	0	1	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	1	0
2 Tyus Jones	17	0	2	1	1	4	1	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/1	0	0	0
93 Noah Penda	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
11 Jase Richardson	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
4 Jalen Suggs	31	20	3	0	3	4	4	2	0	3/4	4/5	3/8	0	2	0
7 Orlando Robinson	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0

Miami Heat

Stats

13 Bam Adebayo
0 Simone Fontecchio
15 Myron Gardner
14 Tyler Herro
25 Kasparas Jakucionis
11 Jaime Jaquez Jr.
16 Keshad Johnson
5 Nikola Jović
9 Pelle Larsson
45 Davion Mitchell
24 Norman Powell
12 Dru Smith
7 Kel'el Ware
22 Andrew Wiggins
17 Jahmir Young
50 Vladislav Goldin

Stats

	Min	Pts	TR	OR	DR	Ast	Los	Rec	Blk	S1	S2	S3	RF	CF	Val
13 Bam Adebayo	35	19	8	1	7	2	0	1	3	5/6	7/11	0/3	0	1	0
0 Simone Fontecchio	7	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0/0	0/2	0/3	0	0	0
15 Myron Gardner	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
14 Tyler Herro	34	20	7	0	7	3	1	0	0	6/7	7/11	0/6	0	2	0
25 Kasparas Jakucionis	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
11 Jaime Jaquez Jr.	24	10	3	2	1	3	1	0	0	0/0	5/11	0/1	0	3	0
16 Keshad Johnson	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
5 Nikola Jović	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
9 Pelle Larsson	10	2	2	1	1	1	1	0	0	0/0	1/2	0/0	0	0	0
45 Davion Mitchell	37	11	2	0	2	9	2	1	0	2/2	3/6	1/2	0	2	0
24 Norman Powell	34	21	7	0	7	2	1	3	0	1/2	4/7	4/12	0	3	0
12 Dru Smith	8	2	2	0	2	1	0	2	1	0/0	1/1	0/0	0	1	0
7 Kel'el Ware	12	4	6	3	3	0	0	0	1	2/2	1/1	0/0	0	2	0
22 Andrew Wiggins	35	19	2	0	2	2	1	1	1	0/0	5/8	3/6	0	2	0
17 Jahmir Young	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
50 Vladislav Goldin	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0