Magic Wands: Orlando Magic vs. Miami Heat — October 17, 2018
The Orlando Magic open their regular season against the in-state rival Miami Heat for the third straight year as they kick off their 30th anniversary season.
Time/TV: 7 p.m./FOX Sports Florida
Line: Heat by 2.5
Tickets: $23-$420 on Vivid Seats
2018 Season Series: Magic 116, Heat 109 in Orlando on Oct. 18; Heat 107, Magic 89 in Miami on Dec. 26; Heat 117, Magic 111 in Orlando on Dec. 30; Magic 111, Heat 109 in Miami on Feb. 5
2019 Season Series: Tonight in Orlando; Dec. 4 in Miami; Dec. 23 in Orlando; March 26 in Miami
| 2018 Season | Pace | Off. Rtg. | Def. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 96.2 | 106.1 | 105.7 | 52.0 | 26.1 | 14.7 | 22.9 |
| Orlando | 98.6 | 104.7 | 109.3 | 51.2 | 24.8 | 14.7 | 23.8 |
1) The Orlando Magic are excited to start their NBA season. Mohamed Bamba told Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel the work the team put in this month has prepared them for this moment.
2) Josh Robbins of The Athletic sat down with president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman to discuss expectations and the direction for the Orlando Magic.
3) John Gabriel is taking on his toughest battle — Parkinson’s Disease and still making an impact on the franchise he helped put on the map, George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel writes.
4) Cory Hutson of Orlando Pinstriped Post looks at how Aaron Gordon can be a more efficient shooter.
5) Justise Winslow is unlikely to play and Dion Waiters, Wayne Ellington and James Johnson are out, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes.
6) Dwyane Wade is not feeling nervous as his farewell season begins, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes.
7) Hassan Whiteside appears to have put in the work for the Miami Heat to get better and the franchise is hopeful their relationship is strong, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.
8) The Orlando Magic are a young team preparing to test the limits of the NBA, even if this first year is unsuccessful, Ben Ladner of The Step Back writes.
9) The Orlando Magic are in full regular season mode as they prepare for the start of their season.
10) The Orlando Magic lack drama entering the 2019 season and that is a good thing for the organization.
11) Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford dreams of becoming a NBA head coach and he has worked to get his second head coach job, John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com writes.
12) The Orlando Magic are hoping for growth and searching for some offense as Josh Robbins of The Athletic answers questions in his latest mailbag.
13) Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel answers 10 key questions about the Miami Heat.
14) The Orlando Magic face some B-I-G questions as their season begins as I opened up the OMD Mailbag.
15) Zach Lowe of ESPN is predicting the inevitable Nikola Vucevic trade (finally) happens this season. But hints the Aaron Gordon trade winds might pick up sooner than we think.
16) The Orlando Pinstriped Post crew fills in the blank for the Orlando Magic as they preview the season. They also discuss what we should expect from the Orlando Magic this season.
17) Jonathan Isaac’s length really changes the Orlando Magic’s defense. He is the key to the Orlando Magic’s season, Ian Levy of The Step Back writes.
18) After four years, Jonathan Macri of The Step Back is trying to figure out where Aaron Gordon fits best.
19) Richard Nurse of All U Can Heat wonders if the Miami Heat are losing touch with the rest of the league.
20) Charles Barkley is claiming he was in line to get the Orlando Magic’s general manager job last summer.
21) Melvin Frazier should be part of the Orlando Magic’s rotation, Jean Racine writes.