Desmond Bane and Cade Cunningham got into an altercation during the Orlando Magic's NBA Cup matchup against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.
Bane is going through the sixth season of his career, his first with the Magic. He is adapting to life in Orlando after the Memphis Grizzlies traded him there in the 2025 offseason.
Orlando had a big matchup against Detroit, who stood out as the best team in the Eastern Conference. It was going to be intense as Bane got physical with Cunningham during a timeout.
Bane didn't let the altercation affect him on the court in the first half. He entered the halftime break with 21 points, two rebounds and two assists on 7-of-11 shooting from the field.
Desmond Bane shoulder-checks Cade Cunningham and Cade shoves him back 👀
Things are getting chippy between the Pistons and the Magic 😳pic.twitter.com/crGSYdcbmy
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 29, 2025
How Desmond Bane, Magic played against Pistons
Desmond Bane balled out for the Magic, clinching a spot in the NBA Cup knockout stage after beating the Pistons 112-109.
Both teams traded blows throughout the course of the game as Orlando only led 59-58 at halftime. The tempo remained the same in the second half as the visitors made enough big play down the stretch to stun the hosts and escape with the road win.
Steals, turnovers and inside scoring made the difference in this matchup. The Magic prevailed in all three categories by making 15 steals, limiting their turnovers to just 14 and scoring 62 points inside the paint. It wasn't the same for the Pistons as they had seven steals, turned the ball over 24 times and produced 46 points inside the paint.
Four players scored in double-digits for Orlando in the win, including Bane. He dominated with a stat line of 37 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a steal. Franz Wagner came next with 21 points and seven rebounds, Anthony Black had 16 points and four assists, while Jalen Suggs provided 14 points and four rebounds.
Orlando improved to a 12-8 record on the season, holding the fifth spot of the Eastern Conference standings. They are in a three-way tie with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks while trailing the New York Knicks by one game.
The Magic will look forward to their next matchup, being at home. They host the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
