In the middle of tonight’s nationally televised matchup between the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic, the State Farm Arena crowd was stunned, barely processing what they had just seen. Desmond Bane, one of Orlando’s calmer and more steady voices, suddenly became the center of chaos when one defensive play turned upside down, causing the shooting guard to be ejected from the game after officials reviewed the sequence.

The replay soon hit the Jumbotron. On a one-on-one fast break, Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu drove right at Bane, attempting to dunk the ball. However, Bane fouled Okongwu hard, reaching across his arm and shoulder and pulling him down to the ground, and, in one heated move, spiked the ball off the head of the big man on the ground. The whistle came quickly, but the drama didn’t end there.

Immediately afterward, when Atlanta forward Mouhamed Gueye stepped up to protect his teammate, Bane pointed right at Gueye, taunting him, and had to be pulled away by officials and teammates.

Bane had played hard on defense all night, being called for four fouls, and had helped the Magic to start building some momentum against the Hawks, who stood on top of a 14-point lead (79-65) when he was ejected.

After the play took place, it was reviewed by the officials for the severity of the foul, ultimately resulting in a flagrant 1 foul for unnecessary contact, along with a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct, which led to an automatic ejection.

Bane kept his head down on the way into the tunnel, the voices of the crowd around him.

The guard ended his night with 9 points on 2-6 from the field, both made shots being threes. He also logged 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. Overall, the game featured a total of 54 fouls between the two teams, including a remarkable 75 total free throws.

The Magic took the lead early in the first quarter, but never led again, with the Hawks leading by as much as 25 points in the fourth quarter.

Orlando Magic Lose Grip vs Atlanta Hawks as Tempers Flare

The Orlando Magic had arrived in Atlanta looking like a team that had rediscovered itself following two wins and renewed defensive effort.

However, as the night continued in State Farm Arena, the same issues that caused their 1-4 start to the season were put on full display on national television: poor shooting, constant fouls, and poor communication.

Every small mistake committed was immediately taken advantage of by the Hawks.

Sophomore Zaccharie Risacher exploded out of the game with 11 points in the first 4 minutes, setting the tone for a completely lopsided game.

Atlanta, missing superstar Trae Young, utilized their depth to mount an all-around attack: Nickeil Alexander-Walker (20), Dyson Daniels (18), Jalen Johnson (17), and Kristaps Porzingis (15) helped the Hawks score 30 or more points in each of the first three quarters.

Daniels also reached a milestone, recording a streak of 60 straight games with at least one steal, the second longest in franchise history behind Doc Rivers.

For the Magic, Paolo Banchero put up 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists, but couldn’t overcome a night defined by frustration.

Orlando ended with 30 fouls and 3 technicals, including Desmond Bane’s ejection, repeatedly halting their own momentum and giving Atlanta free possessions. What was supposed to be a showcase to prove their success instead exposed the same lapses in discipline that have haunted them all season.