Heat fall apart in second half, lose to Magic 133-124 - Hot Hot Hoops

Heat Magic (Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

For the fourth time this season, the Orlando Magic bested the Miami Heat, except this time was in the Heat’s home house inside Kaseya Center.

Behind a dominant 40-20 third-quarter, Orlando secured a 133-124 win over Miami, snapping a four-game skid while tying the Heat for 7th in the East standings. The Heat trailed by 16 with 3:49 left, but quickly made it a two-possession game with 1:06 left. But it was too little, too late, as four free-throws from both Jalen Suggs and Paolo Banchero all but iced the win for the Heat’s intrastate foe.

Both teams shot 50.0 percent from the floor, but Miami got crushed in the paint through three quarters (56-36) while coughing up the rock 18 times to the Magic’s seven. As a result, the Magic scored 13 more points-off-turnovers (24-11) with a slight edge in fast break points (18-17).

The Heat were led by Bam Adebayo, who tallied a near triple-double. Adebayo scored 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting and 4-of-7 from 3-point range, adding 12 rebounds, seven assists and two assists. While he still looked like he was laboring from his back injury, Norman Powell had 22 points.

Simone Fontecchio sparked the Heat off the bench with a team-high 23 points on 6-of-9 shooting from 3-point range; Andrew Wiggins had 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting with five rebounds and three dimes.

Ultimately, Orlando punched the Heat in the mouth — again — especially after the Heat’s 41-25 second quarter entering halftime up nine. Led by Paolo Banchero and Anthony Black, the Magic forced the Heat into too many hapless mistakes.

Orlando may not be playing the best basketball right now. But they’re superior athletically and physically than the Heat. Miami drops to 25-23 while the Magic improved to 24-22.

Heat fall apart in second half, lose to Magic 133-124 – Hot Hot Hoops

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