ORLANDO — The Orlando Magic will play to keep their season alive when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday in the No.8/ No. 9 NBA Play-In Tournament game.

After the morning shoot around, Desmond Bane talked with the media about the significance of the matchup and the role of experience heading into a do-or-die situation.

“I think it's good juice in the building,” he said. “You know, a lot of people have been in this position. I was in this position last year with the Grizzlies after losing to Golden State, the first one, having to beat Dallas to get in.

“So, I mean, a lot of us have, you know, played in a lot of meaningful games,” he added. “It's great that we're able to do it at home, you know, in front of our fans. It's going to take everybody tonight, playing a good team.”

After losing to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, the Magic must defeat Charlotte in order to advance to the playoffs as the eighth seed that will set up a first-round series with the Detroit Pistons. Bane played well in the loss to Philadelphia; scoring a game-high 34 points on 10-16 shooting from the field and 4-6 from 3-point range. However, the team did not do enough collectively to pull through.

On Friday, they do not have a choice but to play their best basketball.

“I mean, I expect everybody to leave it all out there,” Bane said. “You know, tomorrow's not promised. I don't think anybody wants the season to come to an end and, you know, you got to play your best when it matters.”

The Magic dropped three-straight games to the Hornets, all by double digits, after defeating them in the first meeting between the two teams in the regular season. Bane understands the level of energy Charlotte will bring, and that the Magic must do the same.

“I just think the energy and the effort,” Bane said. “You know, I mean, I think that there's going to be a lot of energy in the building. They're obviously going to bring a lot of energy. You know, but we just got to play with our swag.

“You know, it feels like another Friday. It's another night of NBA basketball. We're blessed to be able to play. And I don't want it to end anytime soon.”

Despite Charlotte coming off an overtime win against the Miami Heat on Tuesday to advance to this stage in the play-in, Bane did not express concern regarding the momentum the Hornets possess.

“I mean, it's the NBA,” Bane said. “We went on multiple winning streaks, multiple losing streaks. You know, it can flip on a dime, so we got to come out and, like I said, play our best basketball, play inspired basketball, and we'll give ourselves a good chance.”

Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!

It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.

Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!

For additional coverage, subscribe to our Full Court Magic Podcast!