The Orlando Magic could not get the job done against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. Now, they have one more chance to extend their season.
Despite a 34-point effort by Desmond Bane, the Orlando Magic could not overcome the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Play-In Tournament on Wednesday.
Now, the Magic must return to Orlando to host the No. 9 Charlotte Hornets on Friday. If Orlando falls on Friday, its season is over. After the loss to Philadelphia, Bane talked with the media about what went wrong.
“I mean, I think they made plays and we didn't,” Bane said. “I thought we had some good possessions; open threes, attacks to the rim. For the most part, I thought our process was good on both ends of the floor tonight.
“They made more plays than us, especially down the stretch,” Bane added. “We talked about their others, not letting them get in and dictate the game. And Drummond had a big game, Kelly Oubre had a big game. So, we didn't do enough to win.”
Bane’s game-high 34-point outing came efficiently, as he hit 10 of his 16 shots from the field, four of his six shots from the perimeter and 10 of his 11 free throw attempts. Despite falling short, Bane is relishing the opportunity the Magic have to still reach the playoffs.
“Yeah, I mean, we're all competitors, we all want to win,” he said. “Winning is the utmost priority for everybody. So, I mean, at first frustration, but it's also a great opportunity ahead of us on Friday. Get a chance to play at home in front of our fans against another good team and a chance to go clinch a playoff spot against the Detroit Pistons. So, I'm excited for the challenge.”
Beyond a collective offensive effort that lacked efficiency or production, Bane also pointed to the turnovers that Orlando committed.
The Magic turned the ball over 15 times, and the 76ers were able to turn them into 15 points. Of the 15 turnovers, Bane and Paolo Banchero accounted for 11 of them.
“I mean, extremely,” Bane said when asked how costly the turnovers were. “I mean, I have five of them; P had a few. That's the difference. I mean, we didn't take care of it. We gave them extra possessions. That's on me and I definitely gotta be better taking care of the ball, for sure.”
With one game deciding if the Magic will enter the playoffs or head home for the summer, Bane knows it is going to take everything the team has on Friday.
“Lay it all on the line,” he said. “I mean, we've been at this thing since September. That's kind of the message that I gave you guys before the game started. We've been grinding and chucking away at this, and we're gonna have one game to make it matter.
“So, I'm sure we're gonna come out with the proper energy and fight. And I'm excited for the challenge.”
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