Orlando Magic at Miami Heat (Oct. 25, 2021): 3 Things To Watch, Odds and Prediction

Fresh off a win against the New York Knicks, the Orlando Magic head back to Florida to face the Miami Heat, looking to build on their win.

Orlando Magic (1-2) at Miami Heat (1-1)

Time/TV: 7:30 p.m./Bally Sports Florida
WATCH MAGIC-HEAT ON FUBO TV
FOLLOW LIVE @OMAGICDAILY
Line: Heat by 13
Tickets: $6-$368 on StubHub
2021 Season Series: Magic 113, Heat 107 in Orlando on Dec. 23; Heat 111, Magic 103 in Miami on March 11; Heat 102, Magic 97 in Orlando on March 14
2022 Season Series: Tonight in Miami; Dec. 17 in Orlando; Dec. 26 in Miami; April 10 in Orlando

OMD Prediction

The Orlando Magic got their first win of the season. They did this by playing the way their coach always intended them to play. They got down and defended, getting into the ball physically. They were the ones on the attack and dictating the terms of the game. It was a big moment of growth for a young team. Not to mention some much-needed relief for the team in terms of winning. They needed to feel competitive.

The cruel part of the NBA is that there is no time to celebrate. The Orlando Magic are right back on the horse against the Miami Heat on Monday. That will be a gut check. The Heat are a strong shooting team and will test many of the Magic’s weaknesses that were still on display in Sunday’s win. The good vibes will have to last as the Magic face another tough test.

3 Keys To Watch

Down to Defense

The Orlando Magic want to be about their defense. That was the messaging throughout training camp. The team wanted to be known for its defense and use that to power the rest of the team. The start to the season has not seen this take place. The defense has looked a bit disorganized and they have struggled to nail the details in transition. No matter how much effort they put in.

Sunday’s win was the first time the Magic looked tied together. Orlando gave up a 101.0 defensive rating, by far the best mark of the season to date. In giving up just 46 points in the second half, Orlando gave up 94.0 points per 100 possessions. It was a stellar effort. And the kind of effort the team needs to succeed.

Herro’s start

The Miami Heat are a very modern team. They defend with versatility and they shoot threes. A lot of threes. Miami is shooting only 34.0 3-point field goals per game in two games this season. They hit only 35.3-percent of them so far. Small sample sizes.

What has not been small is Tyler Herro’s start to the season. Herro is averaging 28.5 points per game and making 7 of 20 3-point attempts. Herro is not just about hitting threes. But for this Magic team, he will be a huge concern considering their struggles defending the 3-point line early in the season. This will be the biggest matchup to worry about as a wild card in the game.

Free throws?!

The Orlando Magic offense has been a struggle for nearly a decade. The team has not been in the top of half of the league at all and has typically spent time in the bottom five of the league in offensive rating since Dwight Howard left. Things have only gotten worse at the foul line where losing Howard’s free throws cratered the team’s attempts at the line.

So far this season. . . things are changing? It is just three games, but the Magic currently lead the league with a 28.0-percent free throw rate. The Orlando Magic are averaging 24.0 free throw attempts per game — second in the league. Their 34 free throw attempts against the New York Knicks, including 26 in the second half) sure helps. But that is how Orlando was able to stave off New York and get the win.

Will this be something permanent? Not likely. The Magic will come down to earth at some point. But they are doing a better job getting to the line consistently — Jalen Suggs is averaging 4.7 free throw attempts — and that should help boost the offense.