Desmond Bane scored 22 with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. courtside as the Magic beat the Pistons 94-88. "It's a friendship that'll last forever."
Desmond Bane had a familiar pair of faces in the building Monday night at Kia Center.
Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. made the trip to Orlando to support their former Memphis Grizzlies teammate, and Bane responded with a game-high 22 points to lead the Orlando Magic past the Detroit Pistons, 94-88.
Bane was asked about it postgame.
"It's special. Those are guys that I spent 5 years with, started my career with, made a lot of memories with. It's a friendship that'll last forever. Those are guys that mean a lot to me. I'm thankful that they pulled up to support," Bane said.
Bane was drafted by the Grizzlies in 2020 and spent five seasons in Memphis with Morant and Jackson before Orlando acquired him on June 15, 2025 in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2026, 2028, 2030), and a 2029 pick swap. The blockbuster gave Memphis a major draft haul and financial flexibility while plugging an elite shooter and secondary playmaker into Orlando's core.
Jackson was later traded to the Utah Jazz in February in an eight-player trade featuring three first-round picks headed to Memphis. The move only added to the stockpile of future assets the Grizzlies own.
Bane finished with 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist, going 7-of-18 from the floor and 5-of-10 from 3. He finished a plus-15 in nearly 37 minutes.
Franz Wagner finished with 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Paolo Banchero had 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists on 4-of-18 shooting. Wendell Carter Jr. posted 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists, helping Orlando rack up 16 second-chance points.
Orlando moved to 3-1 and turned 20 Detroit giveaways into 23 points. Detroit shot just 37.8% from the floor and went 6-of-30 on 3-pointers.
Cade Cunningham paced Detroit with 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, but he also turned the ball over 8 times. Tobias Harris scored 20 points. Jalen Duren had 12 points and 8 rebounds. Detroit dropped to 1-3 on the season.