Desmond Bane Ejected as Magic Fall to Hawks in Frustrating Road Loss

ATLANTA — The Orlando Magic’s night unraveled midway through the third quarter when star guard Desmond Bane was ejected for a flagrant foul and subsequent technical during a heated 127–112 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The sequence halted Orlando’s momentum and highlighted the team’s growing frustrations amid a rocky start to the season.

The incident occurred with 5:24 left in the third quarter when Atlanta forward Onyeka Okongwu caught a long outlet pass and went up for a layup. Bane, trailing the play, grabbed Okongwu’s forearm to prevent the basket, sending him hard to the floor. As the ball bounced away, Bane angrily slammed it back toward Okongwu, prompting officials to assess a flagrant one and a technical foul.

After reviewing the play, referees upgraded the penalties, resulting in an automatic ejection. A visibly upset Bane protested the decision as he left the floor, insisting it was simply a “hard basketball foul.”

“Hard foul — no easy baskets,” Bane said postgame. “I swiped at the ball, and it hit him. They made the call they made, but my intent was to make sure nothing came easy at the rim.”

1. Magic’s Frustrations Boil Over

At the time of Bane’s ejection, Orlando trailed by 14 points and struggled to find rhythm on either end of the floor. The Hawks capitalized immediately, extending their lead to 20 within minutes and maintaining control for the rest of the game. Bane’s exit left the Magic without their leading perimeter threat, and the offense sputtered in his absence. He finished with nine points in 22 minutes, shooting 4-of-10 from the field. Without his scoring punch, Orlando failed to keep pace with Atlanta’s balanced attack, which saw seven players score in double figures. The loss snapped the Magic’s two-game winning streak and dropped them to 3–5 on the season — a disappointing start for a team that entered the year with playoff aspirations. Orlando’s high-profile offseason trade for Bane, which cost them four unprotected first-round picks, a swap, and key rotation players Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony, has yet to translate into consistent results. “It’s frustrating,” one team staffer said postgame. “We’ve invested in this core, but it’s still about learning how to win and stay composed in tough moments.”

2. Hawks Take Advantage Despite Missing Young

Atlanta, meanwhile, continues to find ways to win without All-Star guard Trae Young, who is sidelined with an MCL sprain expected to keep him out for at least a month. In his absence, the Hawks relied on a collective effort led by Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanović, who combined for 48 points and orchestrated a fast-paced offense that exposed Orlando’s defensive lapses. Okongwu, the player fouled by Bane, responded with an inspired performance, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds. His physical play in the paint set the tone for Atlanta’s interior dominance, as the Hawks outscored the Magic 58–44 in the paint and forced 17 turnovers. After the game, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley took responsibility for his team’s lack of focus and preparation. “Turnovers, defensive effort — it wasn’t there,” Mosley admitted. “We let our offense dictate our defense. That’s on me. We knew how physical they’d be, and I didn’t get our guys ready for that.” With a heavy road schedule ahead, the Magic face mounting pressure to regain their composure and deliver on the expectations that came with their offseason overhaul.

3. Looking Ahead

The Magic’s next stretch of games will test both their resilience and discipline. Bane’s fiery competitiveness — the same intensity that led to his ejection — remains vital to the team’s identity, but Orlando must channel that energy productively to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference race. For Atlanta, the win marks another encouraging step in their ability to adapt without Young. Their depth and defensive energy have helped maintain stability amid injuries, allowing them to build early-season momentum. Both teams will meet again later this month, setting the stage for a potentially heated rematch — one in which Orlando hopes emotion doesn’t overshadow execution. *]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir=“auto” tabindex="-1" data-turn-id=“request-690912e3-712c-8323-ba6c-1032b24d1d7d-4” data-testid=“conversation-turn-26” data-scroll-anchor=“true” data-turn=“assistant”>

Desmond Bane’s third-quarter ejection epitomized Orlando’s frustration as the Magic’s defensive lapses and composure issues led to a 127–112 defeat against the short-handed Hawks.