Desmond Bane continues to spearhead Magic, as Orlando escapes LA

The guard continues to lead the charge offensively

Feb 22, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) dribbles the ball against LA Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin (9) in the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After a gut-wrenching loss to Phoenix, Orlando Magic responded emphatically in Southern California, escaping Intuit Center with a 111-109 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. What were a few of our takeaways? Let's examine!

Desmond Bane continues to be focal point of offense:

Feb 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) celebrates a shot against the Phoenix Suns in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Coming off a 34-point performance in double overtime against Phoenix, Magic guard Desmond Bane picked up right where he left off as the Magic's primary engine offensively. Bane scored a team-high 36 points on 13-of-19 shooting, despite being an uncharacteristic 6-of-10 from the free-throw line (he was a 92.8 percent foul shooter on the season).

Over his previous five games, he was 20-of-35 from deep. In the Magic's two-point nailbiter, he continued that hot streak, canning 4-of-6 from deep, elevating his 3-point percentage to 38.8 on the year and 43.7 percent over since the turn of the calendar.

Where would they currently be without the 27-year-old? They wouldn't be in a more favorable position (in the W-L column), that's for sure.

Magic survive a Kawhi Leonard eruption in second half:

Feb 22, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) dunks the ball against Orlando Magic guard Jett Howard (13) in the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Orlando led by four entering the first half. The two most concerning parts were that the Clippers were just 1-of-11 from deep, and didn't quite feel like Kawhi was fully awake offensively. He was still very impactful, but we all know the stretches that the seven-time All-Star is capable of having.

The latter didn't last long.

Leonard scored 25 points in the second half -- including 18 in the third alone -- keeping the game within distance for the Clippers, who finished the night 5-of-23 from beyond the arc. He makes scoring the rock look so effortless, routinely getting to his spots and confidently rising over the Magic defenders.

Orlando escaped, but Leonard counterpunched all night. He tallied a game-high 37 points with eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Leonard was phenomenal.

Magic continues to play well on back-to-backs:

Feb 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Most NBA teams play between 13-16 back-to-backs per season. Every team has to deal with them; they're unfortunately a byproduct of the league's schedule. Although it's not every team has to play a back-to-back a little over 24 hours after playing a physical double-overtime thriller.

Well, the Magic did. And they matched the Clippers' physicality throughout the night.

Orlando's been consistently inconsistent this season, although it's now 6-2 on the second night of back-to-backs, the second-best record in the NBA. Only Detroit's 8-1 record is better.

The Magic have won three straight back-to-back affairs -- dating back to mid-December.