Desmond Bane's surge from deep not enough vs. Bucks

The Orlando Magic head into the All-Star break at 28-25.

Feb 11, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) grabs the rebound during the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Welcome to the Milwaukee Bucks, Cam Thomas! In the guard's second-ever game with Milwaukee, he exploded for a game-high 34 points, putting the Orlando Magic away 116-108 inside Kia Center.

It's difficult to beat the same opponent twice in three days during the regular season. And the Magic weren't able to accomplish that. What were a few of our takeaways? Let's dive into it!

Desmond Bane begins game as flamethrower:

Feb 11, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) shoots a three point basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Green (20) during the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

"X" marks the spot, and that spot for Desmond Bane for the first 15 or so minutes was from 3-point range.

While the fifth-year marksmen was only shooting 35.7 percent from beyond the arc entering the night, he's been the Magic's most consistent floor spacer this season. And he proved why early, knocking down five first-quarter 3-pointers and six in the first 14:50.

The middle two quarters were quiet for Bane; the Bucks' defense rightfully adjusted. But he did a good job exploiting their over-generous back line throughout the night. Bane finished with 31 points on 8-of-11 shooting from 3-point range, matching a season-high from deep.

Jalen Suggs: The two-way playmaker:

Feb 11, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) defends Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (18) during the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Suggs has made a conscious effort to lean into his facilitation over his last seven games, registering at least six assists in each game, averaging 8.2 assists (to 2.5 turnovers) over that span. He tallied another 10-assist performance against Milwaukee.

However, that's not the only end of the floor where he's been a dynamic, game-changing playmaker for Orlando. He had his third-straight game with at least four steals, also adding three blocks in 35 minutes.

While it didn't amount to a win, Suggs was everywhere defensively. He's now totaled 15 steals and 11 blocks over the last four games. That's absurd. He's been an elite defensive playmaker -- as well as a playmaker offensively as the Magic's top facilitator -- where he's been invaluable.

Magic struggle in this one specific area:

Feb 11, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) goes to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (7) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Outside of Thomas' explosion late, perhaps the biggest reason for the Magic's eight-point loss was their minus-17 effort on the glass (after a plus-seven in their first meeting). Orlando finished with a season-low 30 combined rebounds, hauling down just seven offensive rebounds.

That said, the Magic's struggles in another area continued: They shot just 1-for-12 on non-restricted area paint 2s; on non-rim 2s, they shot 3-of-18. You don't need to be a mathematics major or statistician to know that's abhorrent.

The Bucks' eight-point win drops the Magic to 28-25 before the much-needed All-Star break, where Orlando will seek one last push to avoid its second consecutive play-in appearance.