The Knicks head to Orlando to take on the Magic in the semifinal round of the Emirates NBA Cup on Saturday.
They caught a major break after Magic star Franz Wagner suffered a high left ankle sprain when these two teams matched up on Monday, taking him out for this key mid-season tournament game.
That’s nearly 23 points per game missing from Orlando’s lineup.
If their first and only full game without Wagner this season is any indication, Desmond Bane should fill the void on Saturday.
Bane had his best game in a Magic uniform on Tuesday against the Heat since being acquired from the Grizzlies over the offseason, equaling his season high with 37 points on 14-of-24 shooting and 6-of-9 from deep.
After a slow start, Bane has come into his own in Orlando.
Through his first ten games with the Magic, Bane averaged just 14.2 points per game.
Since then, he’s looked much more like himself, averaging 22.2 points per game on 49.7 percent shooting and 37.5 percent from three-point land.
After initially struggling with his shot, Bane has been lights out in December, averaging 45.2 percent from deep on 6.2 attempts per game.
Having already faced them three times this season, Bane has looked good against the Knicks, averaging 21.7 points per game.
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The Knicks have been susceptible to shooters like Bane so far in the 2025-26 campaign, allowing 14.5 threes per game, which are the 5th-most triples allowed per game in the league.
Look for Orlando’s new addition to put up another solid game on Saturday.
The play: Desmond Bane Over 20.5 points (-110, FanDuel Sportsbook)
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Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
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