The NBA fined Desmond Bane $35,000 for his unsportsmanlike conduct during the Orlando Magic’s 106-100 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday, December 7, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.
Bane threw the “game ball with force at an opponent…with 6:13 remaining in the fourth quarter,” per the NBA’s official statement on the fine. The guard was assessed a technical foul for the incident. This is the second instance this season of Bane receiving a technical foul for this type of conduct. The first came on November 4 against the Atlanta Hawks, when he fired the ball at Onyeka Okongwu (Bane was eventually ejected from the game).
Bane had 16 points, six rebounds and four assists on 7-15 shooting from the field on Sunday. For the season, he is averaging 18.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 43.9% from the field and 32.5 % from three.
Bane was acquired by the Magic in an offseason trade with the Memphis Grizzlies. Orlando sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four first-round picks and a first-round pick swap to Memphis in exchange for Bane.
Desmond Bane Incident Against New York Knicks
During the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, Bane was pursuing the Knicks’ OG Anunoby as he drove to the basket in the open court. Anunoby went up for a contested layup, but he was stripped of the ball by the Magic’s Anthony Black and fell out of bounds.
Bane picked up the loose ball and threw it hard at Anunoby while he was on the ground. The play resulted in Magic ball, but upon further review, Bane did not even have to make it in order to secure possession for Orlando.
Anunoby got up and gave Bane a shove, and the Knicks and Magic got into a skirmish immediately afterwards. Bane was then handed a technical foul for the excessive force of his toss.
After Jalen Brunson made the technical foul free throw, the Knicks were able to close out the Magic in the final six minutes of the game, securing their third straight win.
Orlando Magic Contending Despite Key Injuries
Orlando’s loss to New York was just their third in their last 10 games. They are 10-4 over the last month despite missing some key players due to injury.
All-Star forward Paolo Banchero had been out since November 12 after suffering a groin injury in a game against the Knicks. He returned on Friday, December 5 against the Miami Heat and played 20 minutes, and he ramped up his workload to 24 minutes against New York on Sunday. For the season, Banchero is averaging 20.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 45.2% field goal shooting and 28.8% shooting from beyond the arc.
However, Orlando lost another key piece just as Banchero was returning. Franz Wagner suffered a left ankle sprain during the first quarter against the Knicks on Sunday and will miss between two and four weeks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. He is averaging 22.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 49% shooting from the field and 36% from three.
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