Magic’s Desmond Bane seemed shocked to see ex-teammate on court for Nuggets vs. Timberwolves

The Orlando Magic secured a 94-88 Game 4 win over the Detroit Pistons to take a 3-1 series lead, but Desmond Bane had an unexpected reaction off the court when he noticed a familiar face during another playoff game.

During his postgame press conference, Bane appeared surprised to see former teammate Tyus Jones on the floor for the Denver Nuggets in their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to a post shared by Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede.

“In the middle of his postgame press conference, #Magic guard Desmond Bane just asked us if that was former Orlando guard Tyus Jones (now with Denver) on the floor of the Timberwolves-Nuggets playoff game, which is playing silent on a screen in the interview room.”

Bane had just delivered a strong performance in Orlando’s Game 4 victory, finishing with 22 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal. He shot 7-for-18 from the field, 5-for-10 from three-point range and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line across 37 minutes, helping the Magic move within one win of advancing.

Jones, meanwhile, contributed off the bench in Denver’s 125-113 Game 5 win over Minnesota, which cut the Timberwolves’ series lead to 3-2. He recorded three points, two assists and one steal while shooting 1-for-2 from the field and the free-throw line in 14 minutes.

Desmond Bane reacts as former Magic teammate Tyus Jones finds playoff role with Nuggets

The 29-year-old guard spent part of the season with Orlando before moving on, including a brief stint with the Dallas Mavericks prior to joining Denver. His time with the Magic was limited, as he averaged three points, 2.4 assists and 1.1 rebounds across 48 games, including eight starts, while shooting 34.2% from the field and 29.4% from three-point range.

Despite those struggles, Jones has carved out a role with Denver during the postseason. Nuggets head coach David Adelman highlighted his value after Game 5 in comments to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.

“I just felt like we got Tyus for his ball-handling. … In this series with the pressure, he allowed Jamal to get off the ball a little bit more. And we felt like because Tyus was playing, I really felt he needed a roller.”

Adelman’s comments, as noted by Durando, referenced Jones’ familiarity in pick-and-roll situations, including prior chemistry with big men in similar offensive sets.

Orlando will look to close out its series in Game 5 against Detroit on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET on Prime Video, aiming to advance in the postseason for the first time since 2010. Denver, meanwhile, will attempt to even its series against Minnesota in Game 6 on Thursday, with Jones continuing to provide depth in the backcourt rotation.