The New York Knicks’ 106-100 victory over the Orlando Magic was quickly overshadowed by a single, forceful throw that cost Desmond Bane $35,000.

Why did Desmond Bane throw the ball at OG during Orlando Magic vs Knicks?

During the fourth quarter, a fastbreak sequence occurred. The Knicks’ Anunoby raced ahead with the ball and was chased by Bane, Anthony Black, and Jalen Suggs.

Black managed to get there in time to poke the ball out of Anunoby’s hands, and both of them tumbled out of bounds, with the ball bouncing towards Bane. Up to that point, it was a typical hard-nosed defensive play. But that’s when everything turned upside down.

Desmond Bane immediately grabbed the basketball and rifled it at OG Anunoby, who was still out of bounds, despite having completely set his feet to recover from the break. Soon after the sequence, the Magic guard received a technical foul but stayed in the game.

Desmond’s reaction and the aftermath with Anunoby

Despite the chaos, cooler heads seemed to prevail. Immediately after the sequence, OG Anunoby was shaken up but was seen talking about it with some teammates. After the game, Bane and Anunoby met at half court, shared a laugh and a handshake, which showed that the two didn’t have any lingering hostility toward one another.

“I should have caught it,” Anunoby joked.

Unfortunately for Bane, however, the league and its rulebook were not as relaxed.

Why was Desmond Bane fined by the NBA?

Today, the NBA released a statement from executive vice president and head of basketball operations James Jones that Desmond Bane is being fined $35,000 for his actions, which were described as “throwing the ball with force at an opponent in an unsportsmanlike manner.”

Bane is set to make about $37 million this season, so the fine itself isn’t going to put a big dent in his earnings. However, the more critical sentiment is that this is a message and warning from the league to stop the unnecessary drama.

As avid watchers may realize, bouncing the ball off an out-of-bounds opponent is not an uncommon tactic. Many star-level players, such as LeBron James and Donovan Mitchell, have used this tactic to secure possession for their teams.

But the problem with Bane’s actions is that he threw it “with force.”

The sequence could’ve led to an injury for Anunoby, which is what tonight’s fine is for.

If this conduct continues, it might lead to more fines and perhaps even a suspension, especially considering that this isn’t the first time the guard has chucked a ball at an opponent this season. Against the Atlanta Hawks, Bane fouled big man Onyeka Okongwu hard, then spiking the ball off him after he went down.

So, the fine might have to do with a pattern of behavior from Bane, especially given that throwing the ball at an opponent is rather petty.