After a hot start, the Miami Heat collapsed and lost a chance to take a trip to Las Vegas.
Orlando, FL - It has felt like the Miami Heat have gone up against the Orlando Magic 1,000 times this season. They would add another chapter to their history books, but this would be different than any regular-season matchup; it was quarterfinals of the In-Season Tournament, with a chance to travel to Las Vegas, Nevada, and advance further. It was also Simone Fontecchio's 30th birthday, to which he asked the team to gift him a chance to visit "Sin City" for the first time ever.
The Magic were coming off a difficult loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, with a final score of 106-100. However, the biggest news from that game was German star Franz Wagner suffering what is now known as a high ankle sprain in the first quarter. The 24-year-old was averaging 22.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 49 percent from the field, 36 percent from three-point range on the season. He's expected to be sidelined for two to four weeks.
Meanwhile, the Heat have hit a bump on the road lately, losing four out of their last five games heading into the Magic matchup. They were also dealing with injuries, but everyone was later made available.
Starting lineups:
Heat: Davion Mitchell-Tyler Herro-Norman Powell-Andrew Wiggins-Bam Adebayo
Magic: Jalen Suggs-Desmond Bane-Anthony Black-Paolo Banchero-Wendell Carter Jr.
Erik Spoelstra went away from the double-big lineup after not seeing the justifications, especially on the defensive end, necessary to play more on the court.
It was time for tipoff and the Heat wasted no time establishing their pace as Andrew Wiggins was the first to punch the scoreboard with a jumper near the free-throw line. Right after, it was all offense from the visitors, sparking an 18-2 run at the very beginning of the game. There was an aggressive presence by All-Star Tyler Herro, scoring seven straight. It was a great sight after missing Saturday night's game against the Sacramento Kings due to a right big toe contusion.
Norman Powell followed his backcourt partner with a couple of three-pointers. The Heat finished the first quarter with nine fastbreak points, which allowed them to maintain a 30-17 lead after the first 12 minutes of action. They also started hot, making 12 three-pointers out of 26 attempts.
After a sluggish start to the game, Jalen Suggs got the second quarter going with a far left-wing three-pointer. The Magic began to throw punches after taking multiple hits, especially after a couple of drives to the basket, plus a foul by Tristan Da Silva and All-Star forward Paolo Banchero. They would cut the lead to single digits after a Wendell Carter Jr. alley-oop dunk from Anthony Black.
The locals sparked a 17-5 run, a massive surge in the second quarter. It wouldn't get better for the Heat after second-year guard Pelle Larsson went down and grabbed his left ankle after rolling it on Wiggins's foot. He was able to walk off the court on his own into the locker room, which is a good sign compared to what it originally looked like.
However, the Magic's momentum continued after Carter Jr. got them their first lead of the game after a made jumper from the free throw line. After a dominant and fast first quarter, the script completely flipped for the Heat, but they still led heading into halftime with a score of 57-56.
Herro, Powell, Banchero, and Desmond Bane finished the first half in double figures in scoring.
As the third quarter commenced, there was tons of back-and-forth action. Then, the Magic would face an obstacle as Bane picked up his fourth foul on Adebayo shooting a right corner three-pointer. However, there appeared to be no phase in their momentum.
The Heat's once hot offense went cold despite generating good looks. However, no matter how Spoelstra's team looks, one thing is for sure: they won't back down easily. They kept generating good looks, but weren't converting consistently, which resulted in the score being 89-83 heading into the fourth quarter, still trailing.
As the Magic started the final 12 minutes of action, Baned was on a tear, scoring nine straight points. Soon after, with a corner three-pointer by Da Silva, they reached the 100-point mark; meanwhile, the Heat still hadn't cracked 90 yet. After converting on a couple of possessions, including a three-pointer by Wiggins, the visitors cut the lead to single digits, but still had more work to do.
Despite all attempts to regain control of the game, the locals have punched their ticket to Las Vegas and will face the New York Knicks in the semi-finals, with a final score of 117-108. After a sluggish first quarter, Bane finished with 37 points, including six three-pointers made, six rebounds, five assists, and a steal in 37 minutes. A big step-up from the veteran guard after being down an All-Star.
"Once he got going, then he became a handful," Spoelstra said. "He made some tough shots in the fourth quarter, but he got some open looks, and then he started to drive, lower his shoulder [and] get to the rim, drew some fouls, and he had a very good game. That's why you want to take away some of the open looks early on so a guy doesn't get into a great rhythm."
Banchero had moments of spark in his third game returning from injury, finishing with 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and a block.
Powell and Herro combined for 41 points, but both struggled from behind the arc, only making four out of 18 attempts together. The Heat simply took their foot off the gas after the first quarter, in which the Magic took advantage and never let go of control. As a whole unit, they made eight three-pointers out of 33 attempts, which is 24.2 percent. It's been one of the sole reasons for the recent struggles.
"We have a very competitive group," Spoelstra added. "There was something to really play for right now, we all wrapped our minds around it. We're still shocked about it. It's two competitive franchises going at it. We just weren't able to get the job done."
The Heat’s losing streak extends to four, but hopefully this funk ends sooner rather than later. They will face the Toronto Raptors at home on Monday night.
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