ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic extended their win streak to a season-high five games after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, 128-122. Once again, Desmond Bane led the offensive effort. 

Bane scored 35 points on 12-19 shooting. He also scored five of Orlando’s last six points to lead his team to a win. After the game, Tristan da Silva praised Bane. 

“I mean, he's about all the right things,” da Silva said. “I feel like, you know, every time he says something or every time he's, you know, the things that he does and the things that he lays out there on the court, you know, speak for themselves. He's a guy that works constantly and, you know, thinks the game, super smart player, not afraid of big moments. 

“So, we need somebody like him. We need him to, you know, make those plays and be in that position for us.” 

Da Silva was also an integral part of the Magic’s win as he notched 23 points on 8-13 shooting from the field. After hearing what da Silva had to say with a smile on his face, Bane reciprocated praise for the second year forward. 

“I mean, he had a lot of big shots,” Bane said. “He's playing out of his mind right now. I mean, connecting everything on both ends of the floor, taking on defensive challenges. You know, I think that his role has changed. Stepping in the lineup, stepping out of the lineup. He's doing a pretty good job.” 

The Magic are 8-3 since returning from the All-Star break and have improved to fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 36-28 record. During this stretch, Bane emphasized the joy the team has been playing with.  

“Tris was saying it coming off the court. Like, this is fun. Like, we're playing a fun brand of basketball on both ends of the floor,” Bane said. “A lot of guys are getting involved. A lot of guys are making the extra pass, making the hustle plays. 

“You know, winning is fun  in this league, I've been on teams where, you know, I was job was out, Jaren's out, and I'm scoring a bunch of points, and we're losing. And there's no fun in that. You know, what we're doing right now is fun.” 

It has not always been an easy season for Orlando, but Bane credited the group’s ability to bounce in one word: 

“Resilient,” he said. “You know, it's a young group. I mean, the season could have went any two ways. You know, we were struggling, kind of struggling to find our footing, to find consistency. You know, we could have started pointing the fingers and playing the blame game.  

“But, you know, I think during that All-Star break and kind of leading up to it, we got a chance to really look ourselves in the mirror, have honest conversations, and it has propelled us. 

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