The Miami HEAT fell to the Orlando Magic 93-90 Saturday night at Amway Center. The game was presented by Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida. Josh Richardson led the way for the HEAT with 19 points.
1. Richardson Sharp Throughout
Richardson can flat out do it all.
Whether it was playing multiple positions or guarding a bunch of different guys, the 24-year-old showed his versatility from start to finish against the Magic.
Oh, and he also showed his hops on this fantastic dunk over Bismack Biyombo in the fourth quarter.
Earlier, Richardson caught fire and scored 13 points in the second period thanks to a barrage from the perimeter. That said, he also came through with an impressive attack in transition during the flurry.
With 8:16 remaining in the second, Justise Winslow pushed tempo after both he and Kelly Olynyk forced a miss from Jonathon Simmons. From there, Winslow passed it to Richardson near midcourt, who took one dribble, accelerated towards the basket and finished the tough play over Biyombo and Jonathan Isaac.
In addition to his team-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-4 from deep, Richardson also accumulated four assists, four steals, two boards and a block.
2. Whiteside Does It Again
After a solid performance against the Nets, Whiteside showed more of the same on Saturday night.
Offensive rebounds? Yup, five of them.
Jumpers? Check.
An alley-oop from James Johnson? Check.
Simply put, the big fella put in work. In all, Whiteside tallied 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 15 rebounds in just 25 minutes of action.
3. Waiters Bounces Back
With Goran Dragić out due to rest, Dion Waiters took over the bulk of the point guard duties on Saturday. Although Waiters got off to a slow start in the first quarter, he put his head down and relentlessly attacked the basket to either draw contact or set up his teammates. As a result, both he and Bam Adebayo led the team with six free-throw attempts apiece.
Waiters ended up with 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Other Takeaways:
-Adebayo got his first field goal of the preseason and showed some fancy footwork on drives in transition, such as this one.
The rookie also hit some clutch free throws to cut the deficit to 88-87 with 1:17 remaining in the game.
When it was all said and done, the 20-year-old had seven points, two boards and a steal.
Game Note:
-Goran Dragić (rest) and A.J. Hammons (illness) sat out.
Looking Ahead:
-The HEAT will now head home to face the Charlotte Hornets on Monday at 7:30 PM. Tickets for that game can be found here.