The Knicks head to Las Vegas on Saturday to face the Magic in the Emirates NBA Cup semifinals.
They got a big break after Magic star Franz Wagner suffered a high left ankle sprain when these two teams played against each other on Monday, ruling him out of this important mid-season tournament match.
That’s almost 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 in the offseason, tying his season high with 37 points on 14-for-24 shooting and 6-for-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.
He’s looked much more like himself since then, 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 went out in December, averaging 45.2 percent from deep on 6.2 attempts per game.
Bane has faced them three times already this season and has looked good against the Knicks, averaging 21.7 points per game.
Bet on the NBA?
The Knicks have been vulnerable to shooters like Bane so far in the 2025-26 season, allowing 14.5 threes per game, which is the fifth-most triples allowed per game in the league.
Look for Orlando’s new signing to put in another solid showing on Saturday.
The play: Desmond Bane Over 20.5 points (-110, FanDuel Sportsbook)
Why trust New York Post betting
Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst in many sports. He especially has a lot of knowledge of the big three: MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
#Knicks #Magic #prediction #NBA #Cup #picks #odds #bets