Bane scores 37 and Magic advance to NBA Cup semifinals with win over Heat

By Canadian Press on December 9, 2025.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Desmond Bane matched his season high with 37 points and the Orlando Magic advanced to the NBA Cup semifinals with a 117-108 victory over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.

Jalen Suggs scored 20 points and Paolo Banchero added 18 points and seven rebounds for the Magic, who will play New York or Toronto on Saturday in the semifinal round at Las Vegas.

Norman Powell led Miami with 21 points. Tyler Herro added 20 and Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins each had 19 for the Heat, who have lost three times in Orlando this season.

Bane hit two 3-pointers and scored on a three-point play in the first 2:06 of the fourth quarter, stretching the Magic’s six-point lead to 13. The Heat never got the margin under nine until the final minute.

The Magic played for the first time this season without Franz Wagner, who is expected to be out several weeks with a high ankle sprain.

The Heat made their first six shots and led 15-0 when Herro drove for a layup less than three minutes into the game. But Miami went cold and finished the game 8 for 33 (24.2%) from 3-point range. Herro missed all six of his 3-point attempts, including an open shot that could have cut the margin to four with 37 seconds left.

Bane made 6 of 9 3-pointers and the Magic shot 15 for 32 (46.9%).

KNICKS 117, RAPTORS 101

TORONTO (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 35 points, Josh Hart added 21 and New York advanced to the NBA Cup semifinals for the first time in three tries by beating a struggling Toronto.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 14 points and 16 rebounds for the Knicks, who will face Orlando in the semifinal round at Las Vegas on Saturday.

The Magic reached the semifinals by beating Miami earlier Tuesday.

Towns returned after sitting out Sunday’s home win over Orlando because of tightness in his left calf.

Mikal Bridges scored 15 points for New York and OG Anunoby had 13 against his former team.

The only team to reach the quarterfinals in all three years of the event, the Knicks had lost their previous two appearances by a combined 32 points.

New York is 11-4 all-time in NBA Cup play.

The Associated Press