NBA: Desmond Bane scores 36 to lead Magic past Clippers

Desmond Bane scored 36 points on 13-of-19 shooting to lead the Orlando Magic to a thrilling 111-109 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.

Paolo Banchero contributed 16 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds, while Wendell Carter Jr. added a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Tristan da Silva chipped in 13 points, and Anthony Black finished with 11 for the Magic, who improved to 2-1 on their four-game road trip.

The Clippers had a chance to win at the buzzer, but Bennedict Mathurin’s potential game-winning three-pointer bounced off the back rim.

Kawhi Leonard led Los Angeles with 37 points on 14-of-25 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds, extending his streak of scoring 20 or more points to 36 consecutive games. Mathurin added 21 points, nine rebounds, and five assists off the bench. Jordan Miller scored 14, and Brook Lopez added 10 for the Clippers, who suffered their second straight loss.

In the closing moments, Yanic Konan Niederhauser blocked Bane’s driving layup with about eight seconds remaining, giving the Clippers a final opportunity. Leonard, tightly defended, passed to a wide-open Mathurin, whose three-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark.

Orlando shot 48.2% from the field, making 8 of 23 from three-point range. Los Angeles matched their overall shooting percentage but went just 5 of 23 from long distance.

Late in the fourth quarter, Mathurin made two free throws to give the Clippers a 105-101 lead with 4:49 left. Bane and Black answered with consecutive layups to tie the score at 3:30. Leonard’s jumper briefly put Los Angeles ahead, but Bane’s mid-range shot tied it again at 107. When Niederhauser was called for goaltending on a Bane layup with 1:26 remaining, the Magic gained the lead.

Banchero added a fast-break dunk with 40.4 seconds left to make it 111-107. Leonard’s short jumper brought the Clippers within two with 28 seconds remaining, but Orlando held on.

Bane scored 18 points in the first half to help Orlando build a 57-53 halftime advantage, while Leonard had 12 points. Leonard came alive in the third quarter, scoring 18 points as the Clippers went 13-of-20 from the floor. Bane’s late steal and layup gave Orlando a one-point lead with 9.6 seconds left in the quarter, but Mathurin’s turnaround jumper sent Los Angeles ahead 89-88 going into the final period.

-Field Level Media/Reuters