Atlanta Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu did not pass up the chance to get back at Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane on Monday.
The Hawks hosted the Magic at State Farm Arena, and the contest got heated in the third quarter, as Okongwu and Bane got held up with the ball underneath the basket.
As they fell to the floor, Okongwu tossed the ball at Bane, leading to a technical foul.
To recall, Bane was ejected against the Hawks in November for spiking the ball at Okongwu after pulling him down during a layup attempt.
Onyeka Okongwu got hit with a tech for throwing the ball at Desmond Bane in Hawks-Magic 😳
Earlier this season, Bane did this Okongwu:pic.twitter.com/hrBcbv5n8X https://t.co/c1sUUpSmnr
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 17, 2026
Clearly, there is no love lost between them.
Fortunately, Bane did not retaliate, as he and Okongwu were quickly separated.
After their incident in November, the 25-year-old Okongwu intimated that there is a growing rivalry between Atlanta and Orlando, while also throwing shade at the 27-year-old Bane.
“We don't really like the Magic. They don't really like us, honestly,” said Okongwu.
“I can already tell that he's (Bane) frustrated over there. He's not having the best year. You know I'd be frustrated too if I were in the position that he was in over there.”
Okongwu is having his best campaign so far, continuing his rise as one of the league's most underrated big men. He was averaging career-highs of 15.8 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals on top of 7.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks entering their game against the Magic.
As of writing, Atlanta is comfortably ahead of Orlando in the fourth quarter. Okongwu has 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and one block.
