Magic Vs Clippers: Bane's 36 Lifts Orlando in 111-109 Win; magic vs clippers takeaways

In the latest magic vs clippers matchup, the Orlando Magic responded after a gut-wrenching loss to Phoenix by escaping the Intuit Center in Southern California with a 111-109 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. The game featured two standout performances and a mix of hot streaks and cold shooting that decided the outcome.

Bane's scoring and shooting

Coming off a 34-point performance in double overtime against Phoenix, Magic guard Desmond Bane picked up right where he left off as Orlando's primary offensive engine. Bane scored a team-high 36 points on 13-of-19 shooting. He was an uncharacteristic 6-of-10 from the free-throw line in this game despite being a 92. 8 percent foul shooter on the season.

Leonard's second-half counterpunch and stats

Kawhi Leonard counterpunched throughout the night. He tallied a game-high 37 points with eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Leonard scored 25 points in the second half, including 18 in the third alone, keeping the Clippers within distance. The description that he "makes scoring the rock look so effortless, routinely getting to his spots and confidently rising over the Magic defenders" applied repeatedly as he dragged the game back into contention.

Orlando's lead and shooting struggles

Orlando led by four entering the first half. Two concerning elements for the Magic early were that the Clippers were just 1-of-11 from deep at that point and that Kawhi did not quite feel fully awake offensively, even while remaining very impactful. The Clippers finished the night 5-of-23 from beyond the arc.

Magic Vs Clippers game takeaways

Bane continued a hot streak from long range. Over his previous five games he was 20-of-35 from deep, and in the two-point nailbiter he went 4-of-6 from long range, elevating his 3-point percentage to 38. 8 on the year and to 43. 7 percent since the turn of the calendar. The piece asked where the team would be without the 27-year-old, answering plainly that they "wouldn't be in a more favorable position (in the W-L column), that's for sure. "

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Orlando escaped Southern California with a 111-109 win at the Intuit Center, a game defined by Desmond Bane's 36 and Kawhi Leonard's 37 along with stark differences in three-point shooting. The scoreline and those individual lines underline how closely matched the teams were on the night.