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Orlando Magic's Desmond Bane Emphasizes What Needs to be Done to Win cover image

The Orlando Magic finally snapped their losing streak, but it is going to take more to regain consistent victories.

The reason the Orlando Magic were able to snap their four-game losing streak against the Miami Heat on Wednesday night was because of offensive contributions from Paolo Banchero, Anthony Black and Desmond Bane, who combined for 80 of Orlando’s 133 points. 

But there was another crucial element to the Magic’s success: Forcing and capitalizing off turnovers. 

Orlando forced Miami into 18 turnovers that it turned into 24 points, an invaluable contribution. On Friday night, when the Magic host the Toronto Raptors, Bane knows his team will have to execute the same way. 

“Yeah, I mean, I think that it's going to be a dogfight,” Bane said after Friday’s shoot around. “You know, it was up there in Toronto, we kind of felt like we let one get away from us. And we know it's no trickery with them.  

You know, whoever's going to play harder is probably going to come out and win the game. So, we got the right mentality from the start.” 

Heading into Friday’s game, the Raptors are 29-20, which is good for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. They also possess three players in Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett, who are each averaging over 18 points per game. 

Meanwhile, the Magic are 24-22 and eigth in the Eastern Conference.  

During the losing streak, two of which came to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Bane and his teammates understood what they needed to be doing but were failing to execute it. Now that they have another win under their belts, it is time to build on the positive elements that lead to success. 

“Yeah, I mean we've been talking about it, you know, I felt like since right before we played Cleveland. And then stretches of those games felt like we had it, you know, but it's just about building and embracing what it is that we want to accomplish on both ends of the floor. So, I think we're trending in the right direction.” 

Orlando also has a chance to win consecutive games, something it has only achieved once in the last two months. To make it happen, Bane emphasized the importance of proper preparation. 

“Yeah, I mean, I think it's our attention to detail, you know, on both ends of the floor,” he said. “The way we prepare to go out in battle has to be sharp. It's a very good league; hard to win in and I think we're going to be ready tonight. That's it.” 

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