Miami Heat-Orlando Magic Preview: Can Heat Bounce Back Against In-State Rival?

What to look for in the Heat’s Tuesday night home game against youthful Magic

Author:
Nick Crandell
Feb 6, 2024 8:32 AM EST

In this story:

Miami Heat

Following two straight wins, the Miami Heat fell short against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night. The Heat were tough and competitive against the hottest team in basketball, falling 103-95.

Tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic is far more important, as the Heat are only one game behind them in the playoff race.

The seventh-seed Magic (27-23), winners of three straight, are looking to distance themselves from the Heat (26-24, eighth seed) and leap the Indiana Pacers (28-23, sixth seed).

Previous Matchups

This is the fourth and final meeting between the teams, barring a playoff matchup. The Heat lead the season series 2-1, winning the first two.

In Game 1, the Heat shot 51.7 percent from three. Tyler Herro finished with 28 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and 4 of 5 from on 3-pointers in a 115-106 win in Orlando.

One of the Heat’s most impressive performances of the season came in a 99-96 victory in Miami. The Heat were missing Jimmy Butler, Herro and then-starting point guard Kyle Lowry with injuries. Bam Adebayo had 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, and hit the go-ahead jumper with 18.1 seconds left. Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. chipped in 23 and 19 points, respectively.

The Heat were blown out 105-87 in the third game. It was their lowest point total of the season. This was the only one of the three games that included Butler. Butler was unassertive, taking only 10 shots from the field. Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Opposing Players to Watch

The Magic are the fourth-youngest team in the NBA, with an average age of 24.3 at the start of the season. They are led by budding stars Banchero, 21, and Franz Wagner, 22.

Banchero, named to his first All-Star team last week, is averaging team-highs in points (23.0), rebounds (6.9) and assists (5.1). Banchero is also an anchor on defense. His 112.1 defensive rating is 21st best in the NBA, a few slots ahead of reigning Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Wagner has improved every year since being named first-team All-Rookie in 2022. Now in his third season, the 6-foot-10 small forward is averaging 20.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Wagner is coming off a career-high 38 points Sunday night against the Detroit Pistons.

Key Matchup

Paolo Banchero vs. Bam Adebayo

Both teams’ lone All-Stars will guard each other. It’s a fascinating matchup because they are multiskilled on offense and defense. Banchero has the slight offensive edge while Adebayo is more skilled defensively.

Adebayo has struggled scoring lately, not hitting his season average (20.4) in his last seven games. Meanwhile, Banchero has reached his average (23.0) in five of his last six games.