Magic Unable to Ward Off Heat in OT Loss

The Lead

Markelle Fultz led six Magic players in double figures with 17 points, Paolo Banchero scored 16, and Jalen Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr. and Moe Wagner each had 14, however Orlando, despite never trailing in regulation, was unable to hold off the Miami Heat in Saturday’s 107-103 overtime loss at Amway Center.

Clutch Moments

The Magic led by nine with two minutes and change left after Fultz knocked down back-to-back mid-range buckets. The Heat’s comeback started with a Tyler Herro layup with 2:22 remaining; Gabe Vincent followed with a 3-pointer; Jimmy Butler made consecutive shots; and then after a loose ball foul with 12 seconds left, Vincent sank a pair of game-tying free throws.  

Interesting Note

The Magic led by as many as 17 in the second quarter and never trailed in regulation. But they also never led in overtime.

Key Stats

Although the Heat only grabbed one more offensive rebound than the Magic, they did a much better job capitalizing on those second-chance scoring opportunities. They finished with 14 second-chance points, 10 more than the Magic. Orlando did take advantage of many of Miami’s mistakes, however, scoring 24 points off the Heat’s turnovers. 

In the News

Chuma Okeke played with the Lakeland Magic on Friday and Saturday – both against the Salt Lake City Stars. In the first game, the 6-foot-8 forward scored 10 points and grabbed two rebounds. In the second, he recorded 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals. The third-year pro had arthroscopic left knee surgery in late December. 

This Day in History

Jason Richardson buried nine 3-pointers as part of his 31-point performance and Hedo Turkoglu scored 19 points, as the Magic beat the Bucks on Feb. 11, 2012. Former Magic player Drew Gooden led Milwaukee with 21 points, while Ersan Ilyasova, who briefly played for Orlando a few years later, had 17 points and 16 rebounds.

Rivals Report

Are the Heat title contenders or not? They are a tough team to assess because they have an elite defense, which is typically a prerequisite for legitimate championship contenders, but they are well below average offensively. Brooklyn trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving should help Miami climb up at least one spot in the East by the time the season is over. The Heat have also played well this season against the East’s top teams, going 2-2 against the Celtics and winning two of their first three meetings against the Bucks. They have yet to play the Sixers and still play two more against the Cavs. 

Up Next

The Magic will head out on the road for two games, starting with a visit to Chicago to take on the Bulls on Monday at 8 p.m. ET. This will be the third and final meeting between the two teams this season. The Magic won the first one in the Windy City on Nov. 18 in thrilling fashion after Jalen Suggs drilled a go-ahead step-back 3-pointer with 4.1 seconds left. Chicago won the rematch on Jan. 28 at Amway Center behind 32 points from both Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Moe Wagner led Orlando with 27 points.

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