The best-of-seven first-round series between the Detroit Pistons and the Orlando Magic took an intense turn when Duncan Robinson and Desmond Bane engaged in a heated argument. During Game 5 of the series at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Robinson pushed Bane to the floor, but a foul was called on Bane. Notably, the Pistons entered the game with a 1-3 deficit in the series, and were on the edge of getting knocked out.

Coming back to the incident, after pushing Bane to the ground, the Pistons’ star began trash talking to the Magic guard. However, the latter didn’t take his words lightly and got in a very animated manner, as if he was ready to charge at Robinson before being held by Anthony Black. Not only this, but they both were also intervened by team members and officials as the two players engaged in a heated exchange.

A broadcaster later revealed that the incident wasn’t initiated by Bane, who is known for taking mental advantage by getting under the skin of the rivals. During the Wednesday game, Robinson took exception to a hit from Bane on the other end of the floor and came back to return it, but ended up drawing a foul against Bane.

Ausar Thompson and Desmond Bane engage in heated scuffle moments later

Later in the second quarter, Bane was involved in another scuffle with Ausar Thompson. Thompson kept standing over Bane, who dove on a loose ball to gain possession. The Magic star tried to stand up while Thomspon stood over him. However, he didn’t realise that it would end up tripping Thompson, but was involved in a pushback from the Pistons players before the officials stepped in.

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Talking about the game, the Pistons recorded a 116-109 win over the Magic, after being led by Cade Cunningham’s 45 points. Cunningham shot 13-of-23 from the field and 5-of-8 from the three-point range, and converted all his 14 shots from the free-throw line. Apart from him, Tobias Harris dropped 23 points, while Jalen Duren and Duncan Robinson had 12 points, each. On the other hand, the Magic were led by Paolo Banchero’s 45 points.