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Desmond Bane stars in front of his former teammates in Game 4 win
Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane. Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Desmond Bane stars in front of his former teammates in Game 4 win

Desmond Bane is no longer a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. But playing in front of former teammates Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson, Jr., Bane was the star in a "grit-n-grind" style game, complete with bleeding arms.

Bane led the Orlando Magic with 22 points, including a banked-in three-pointer with 1:16 to play as his team defeated the Detroit Pistons, 92-86. The Magic are one game away from their first playoff series win since 2010, thanks to a blockbuster deal that brought in Bane over the summer.

Desmond Bane and the Orlando Magic locked down Detroit Pistons

While Bane's late three-ball was his only made basket of the final quarter, that was more than enough against a Pistons team that didn't make a field goal after the 5:50 mark until a meaningless Isaiah Stewart putback with 3.4 seconds to go. The Magic forced 20 turnovers in the game and blocked six shots in a rock fight of a game where Detroit shot only 38 percent, and the Magic were 33 percent from the field.

That's why Bane was so critical. He went 5-for-10 from behind the arc, nearly matching the six threes made by Detroit's entire team (shooting 20 percent). His own teammates were even worse. Besides Bane, the Magic were 4-for-25 on three-pointers, with Jalen Suggs bricking his way to a 1-for-11 night.

Perhaps it was Bane's experience with the defensive-minded and often offensively-challenged Grizzlies that made him so ready for the moment. If he needed a reminder of that mindset, Morant sat courtside, celebrating every Bane three-pointer along with Jackson, who the Grizzlies traded to the Utah Jazz during the season.

Desmond Bane covered for his star teammates

The Magic gave up two players and a bushel of draft picks to pry Bane away from the Grizzlies last summer, a move that acknowledged the team's need for another scorer alongside Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Both needed a helping hand Monday night.

Wagner was fantastic with 19 points in 24 minutes, along with four steals, but left the game for good in the third quarter with a calf injury. Banchero grabbed eight rebounds and shot 10-for-13 from the foul line, but shot just 4-for-18 from the floor. They needed all of Bane's shots, including the late three, which he almost certainly didn't call "Bank!" before shooting.

That didn't diminish the celebration from the Orlando crowd or from Bane's old teammates. After a slow start to the series, Bane has 47 points and 12 triples in the last two games, and the Magic are one win away from knocking off the No. 1 seed.

The Magic have been playing championship-caliber defense in this series. With Bane shooting this well, an average offense could be enough to complete their upset bid.

Sean Keane

Sean Keane is a sportswriter and a comedian based in Oakland, California, with experience covering the NBA, MLB, NFL and Ice Cube’s three-on-three basketball league, The Big 3. He’s written for Comedy Central’s “Another Period,” ESPN the Magazine, and Audible. com

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