Overview
- The incident occurred with 5:24 left in the third quarter when Bane grabbed Okongwu’s forearm on a fast break, then spiked the loose ball at his head, prompting brief on-court tensions.
- Referees assessed a Flagrant 1 for the foul and a technical for directing the ball, which by rule resulted in ejection after review; some outlets called it a Flagrant 2, but most reports did not.
- Atlanta won 127-112, and the Magic trailed by 14 at the time of the ejection; Bane finished with nine points in about 22 minutes.
- Bane said he was surprised by the decision and described it as a hard foul and a swipe at the ball, while coach Jamahl Mosley framed it as an attempt to prevent an and-1.
- Acquired in a blockbuster trade with Memphis, Bane has opened the season below last year’s scoring pace as Orlando slipped to 3-5, with no additional league discipline reported in coverage.