The Orlando Magic played an undermanned Miami Heat team and welcomed Aaron Gordon back to the lineup in a home preseason win.
The Orlando Magic saw the Miami Heat. Or they saw something resembling the Miami Heat. They had the same jerseys at least.
Miami played without Chris Bosh, Goran Dragic, Dwyane Wade and Amar’e Stoudemire leaving a roster that was devoid of the Heat’s likely starting lineup and few of their rotation players. So everything that occurred Tuesday should be taken with some grains of salt.
Orlando dominated defensively, holding Miami to 38.5 percent shooting for the game. But the Magic could not hit a shot themselves and the game stayed within a relatively tight margin.
Before the Magic’s rotation players left the game, they built a 14-point fourth quarter lead. The Heat though stormed back, leaving some of their better available players in the game.
However, Orlando forced overtime when Nnanna Egwu rebounded a missed Jordan Sibert 3-pointer and Shabazz Napier scored three free throws to give the Magic a six-point lead. Miami missed three 3-point shots to tie the game on the final possession and Orlando won 95-92 at the Amway Center.