Orlando Magic Grades: Miami Heat 118, Orlando Magic 96
The Orlando Magic were slow on defense and the Miami Heat took advantage again and again. They blew the Magic out in the second half and celebrated a win.
118. 110. 96. 38. Final
The Orlando Magic were shorthanded and knew they would have a long path to a victory with Aaron Gordon and Victor Oladipo out with a concussion. The Miami Heat talked before the game about refocusing and regaining their mental edge.
Consider that checked off. The Miami Heat were rolling offensively and never really stopped. The Magic’s defense was caught flat footed time and time again. And the Heat were constantly attacking.
Orlando could keep pace for a half. The offense was able to get some shots and make shots. But the team was too stagnant and unable to get to the basket consistently. Eventually the defense collapsed completely and the turnovers that generated fast breaks left.
All the progress Orlando had made seemed to be halted with Oladipo and Gordon, probably the team’s two best individual defenders. The Magic were poor defensively and that was where everything else had to start and stop for the Magic — undermanned or not.
The energy the Magic have been playing with for much of the last two or three years was not present. When the offense faltered, the defense tanked further with it.
NIKOLA VUCEVIC. C+. <p><strong><a href=. C. Orlando Magic
B+. <p><strong><a href=. SF. Orlando Magic. MARIO HEZONJA
<p>If you follow me on Twitter (definitely do that @omagicdaily), you know I tend to play Devil’s advocate some and try to explain what I think is going on. My opinion does not play too much of a role in my answers. I am also an optimist and want to find something good. So I do not say this easily.</p><p><strong><a href=. PF. Orlando Magic. ERSAN ILYASOVA. F
C+. <p>Ersan Ilyasova’s struggles come in stark contrast to <strong><a href=. PF. Orlando Magic. ANDREW NICHOLSON
A-. <p>The Miami Heat talked about getting their mental energy back after their lapses late against the Orlando Magic on Friday. Check and check.</p><p>The Heat were dialed in from the start and attacked the Magic time and time again. They got to the line and scored with ease. They sensed blood that the Magic did not have the energy early on and they frenzied on it coming out of the locker room especially.</p><p>This was a Miami team that was brought to attention by a loss and determined not to let it happen again. Orlando was out of the game fairly quickly when Miami figured out its own defense. Even before then, the Magic were finding it tough to get offense in the half court. This was the Heat at their destructive best.</p>. 47-33. 5th East. MIAMI HEAT