The Lead
Throughout training camp and the preseason, several of the Orlando Magic’s players said they felt their squad was being overlooked, and that they are far better than what the cynics are claiming. Although it’s just one game, the Magic may have changed some of those preliminary opinions on opening night playing against the defending Eastern Conference champs. Orlando outscored the Miami Heat by 10 in the fourth quarter to pull out a 113-107 victory in front of a limited capacity crowd at Amway Center.
Clutch Moments
Evan Fournier, who recorded 25 points, knocked down a 3-pointer, a driving floater and an AND-1 layup in the final five minutes. Nikola Vucevic also drilled a triple during that stretch, and Markelle Fultz, who had one of the league’s best field goal percentages in clutch moments last season, used his powerful frame to connect on a driving layup. Although they missed 11 free throws for the entire game, the Magic sank eight of their last nine.
Key Stat
The Heat averaged 13.4 made 3-pointers last season, sixth most in the NBA. Considering they have one of the league’s best outside shooters in Duncan Robinson and another excellent long-range threat in Tyler Herro, they are very difficult to contain on the perimeter. The Magic, however, did a terrific job running Miami’s shooters off the 3-point line. The Heat only took 20 threes, 15 fewer than their regular season average in 2019-20, and made just seven.
Top Performers
Is this the year Aaron Gordon is in the conversation for the Defensive Player of the Year Award? He certainly was locked in on that end of the floor on Wednesday night. In addition to collecting four steals, the 6-foot-9, 220-pound versatile forward got his hands on a few Miami passes and made things awfully difficult on Jimmy Butler, who finished with 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Foul trouble limited him to just 26 minutes, but his tenacity down the stretch made a huge difference. Fournier, meanwhile, was sizzling all night, making nine of his 13 shots overall and three of his five 3-point attempts. The 6-foot-7 sharpshooter led the NBA last season in field goal percentage on shots taken from 20 to 25 feet away, per Stathead.
Rookie Watch
Cole Anthony played 19 minutes in his NBA regular season debut and tallied six points and six assists, one of which was a breakaway alley-oop to Gordon, who rose up high, as he typically does, and threw it down with one hand. Chuma Okeke, meanwhile, was on the court for 22 minutes and finished with three points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal.
Top Storyline
If the Magic make the playoffs for a third straight year, and they are confident they will, it will likely be because they were locked in defensively all season. Magic Head Coach Steve Clifford has stated many times that he feels this team is capable of finishing somewhere in the top 10 in defense. Last season, they had the 11th best defensive rating, but they weren’t as strong on that end after the All-Star break or in the Disney bubble. Down the stretch on Wednesday, the Magic’s defensive effort picked up. In the fourth, the Heat committed six turnovers, several forced by Orlando, and they shot just 1-of-6 from 3-point range.
Quote of the Night
“I think we just are going to have spurts where the ball might not be falling. We got to keep playing defense, keep trying to create turnovers or (cause) havoc on defense to make us get some easy offense. I think that we just stuck with it on the defensive end. We put together some stops and got some rebounds. It wasn’t falling. But a big emphasis is crashing the glass. We got a couple offensive rebounds. Just giving us energy. We were just trying to fight and find a way to win the game.” – Fultz
Up Next
The Magic now hit the road for a three-game, two-city trip. Their first stop is the nation’s capital, where they will play the Wizards on Saturday and Sunday. The voyage will end in Oklahoma City, where they will take on the rebuilding Thunder on Tuesday. Washington lost to Philadelphia on opening night, while OKC’s game against Houston was postponed because of COVID-19 protocols.
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December 24, 2020 at 10:47AM
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Magic Beat Heat on Opening Night at Amway Center - OrlandoMagic.com
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