ORLANDO, Fla. -- Magic guard Desmond Bane had missed all five of his previous 3-point attempts Monday night and was shooting just 26% from behind the arc on the season when he hit a 3 he will never forget.
Bane buried his first career game-winning buzzer beater when his twisting-and-falling-away 3 over the outstretched arm of Toumani Camara helped the Magic stun the Portland Trail Blazers 115-112 to set off a wild celebration at the Kia Center.
"Probably the best game winner I've seen here in the Kia Center," Orlando star forward Paolo Banchero said.
While Bane (22 points) was just 1-for-6 from 3, continuing an early-season trend of shooting struggles for the former Grizzlies star, he hopes his game winner will help him get back on track with his new team.
"I just want to be a part of winning," Bane said. "But I think moments like tonight really help you settle into a new situation."
As soon as Bane hit the shot in front of the Blazers' bench, he was mobbed by his teammates. Banchero lifted Bane up before players piled onto the guard on the floor.
The Magic (5-6) traded four unprotected first-round picks, a first-round pick swap, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony for Bane last summer, believing the guard is the missing piece to lift them to contention in the East -- for this season and for years to come.
But Orlando began the season 1-4 and has had uneven performances from its stars, including Bane. The shooting guard entered Monday averaging just 14.2 points while shooting a career-worst 29.3% from 3.
On Monday, the Magic led the Blazers by 13 with 8:57 remaining despite not having starting point guard Jalen Suggs, who was held out of the second night of the back-to-back as he continues to ramp up following knee surgery in March.
Orlando was up nine with 2:32 left but watched Portland go on an 11-0 run to take a 112-110 lead with 10.6 seconds left after an alley-oop tip in by Jerami Grant while being fouled by Banchero. It could have been a crushing loss coming off the Magic's 111-107 defeat to the Boston Celtics on Sunday night.
Banchero answered with a driving layup while being fouled to tie the game at 112 with five seconds left. Banchero, though, missed his third straight free throw.
On the ensuing possession, Jrue Holiday drove but lost the ball to Banchero, who called timeout. Franz Wagner, who inbounded the ball with 1.9 seconds left, looked for Banchero first, but the Blazers had the star covered.
Bane then used a Wendell Carter Jr. screen to free himself off Holiday before he caught the inbound pass, took a dribble and launched his twisting, fading rainbow 3 for the win.
"It was a rush of excitement for sure," said Banchero, who had 28 points. "Especially for me, him saving my ass like that. I didn't want to make it that exciting.
"He's a big-time player. He just stayed with it the whole game. Coach [Jamahl Mosley] drew up a good play, gave us multiple options, found Desmond and he knocked it down."
According to Basketball-Reference, Bane became just the fourth player in Magic history to hit a game-winning, buzzer-beating 3-pointer, joining Cole Anthony (2021), Jameer Nelson (2011) and Hedo Turkoglu (2008).