Orlando Magic Grades: Orlando Magic 110, Miami Heat 99
The Orlando Magic jumped on the Miami Heat with an aggressive fast-breaking style and dominated for a series win over their in-state rivals.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
| Heat | 25 | 28 | 20 | 26 | 99 |
| Magic | 33 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 110 |
The Orlando Magic have had some heartbreakers against the Miami Heat. The wins for the last five years have been few and far between. The division and state rivals have taken on a new place for the long-standing players. Each win means something.
If anyone wants to find a bright spot in this season, it is that the Magic have won three straight games against the Heat, winning the season series for the first time since 2009.
And on Friday night at the Amway Center, the Magic did so convincingly leading almost the entire game in a 110-99 win over the Heat thanks to a stingy, connected defense feeding a fast-break offense.
When the ball whipped around to Evan Fournier late in the fourth quarter for his first and only 3-point attempt of the night, he buried it confidently. Everything for the Magic, despite a 5-for-17 shooting night from beyond the arc, had built up for this moment.
Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton dominated in transition as the Magic turned deflections and contests from Nikola Vucevic into transition opportunities. Orlando had 18 at halftime to build its lead. Even though the Magic managed just two more the rest of the game, the tide and momentum had turned.
Miami was playing at Orlando’s rhythm and pace.
"“It was a big win for us,” coach Frank Vogel told Orlando Magic Daily in his press conference after the game. “We’re trying to learn how to win as a group. Whatever it means to get Ws, this organization has to feel that. We have to experience that and do the best we can to try to get ourselves back in the playoff picture even if it’s a long shot. This group of men has to learn how to win basketball games.”"
Elfrid Payton probed and attacked. The Magic worked the ball around the perimeter and attacked the glass. They were quicker to loose balls and more energetic on defense. They forced the Heat into contested long shots — Miami managed just 36 points in the paint after scoring 70-plus in the opener in Orlando way back in October.
And every time the Heat made a push, the Magic met them and found a way.
Whether it was Fournier icing the game with a late 3-pointer or Aaron Gordon throwing down an alley-oop or Nikola Vucevic recording a key block or challenge or rebound, the Magic were in control and ready to gut out the win against their division rival.
Nikola Vucevic has seen a lot of games against the Miami Heat in an Orlando Magic uniform and far fewer wins. He has put up a lot of big statistical performances in those games. Vucevic is quickly becoming a member of the Heat Killer Hall of Fame. Few performances were like this one. And few were as directly impactful.<p>Vucevic did his scoring thing with 25 points on 11-for-18 shooting. He worked well around the basket, stretching <strong><a rel=. C. Orlando Magic. NIKOLA VUCEVIC. A
PG. Orlando Magic. ELFRID PAYTON. A-. Elfrid Payton has been as stifled as anyone else within the Orlando Magic offense this season. At times, Payton looks good attacking the basket and getting downhill toward the rim. This helps set everyone else up. At other times, he looks lost, trying to find his way in but getting nowhere. Payton has felt suffocated.<p>Increasingly with the Magic using transition much more, Payton looks freer. Orlando was able to get itself going largely in transition in the first half. And a lot of that was with Payton leading the charge. He is incredibly gifted with open floor in front of him and moving at full speed.</p><p>Payton scored 12 points to go with 10 rebounds and eight assists. He also added three steals. A lot of that work came in transition as he got the Magic moving even off made baskets.</p>
PF. Orlando Magic. AARON GORDON. B+. Similar to Elfrid Payton, Aaron Gordon has benefited from the increase in space the Magic’s offense provides. He is able to get out in transition much more and attack slower-footed power forwards better. <strong><a rel=
C+. The only bad spot for the Orlando Magic all night came from their bench. With a big lead in the first quarter, the reserves came in and slowly gave away much of the lead. The Magic won the first and third quarters comfortably, but they lost the second and fourth quarters by one point each. The Heat cut this game close because the bench could not sustain that momentum.<p>Part of that has to fall on point guard <strong><a rel=. PG. Orlando Magic. D.J. AUGUSTIN
D. Goran Dragic probably summed up the disappointment from the Miami Heat well after the game. This team cannot take losses from teams “planning for vacation.” Dragic reportedly was not happy the Heat lost so thoroughly to a struggling team like the Magic (now five games back of the Heat).<p>Miami, though, was that bad. It was an unenergetic, uninspired performance overall. The Heat shot just 38.5 percent from the floor and 8 for 28 from beyond the arc. The backcourt duo of Goran Dragic and <strong><a rel=. (28-34). 9th East. MIAMI HEAT