The Miami HEAT fell to the Orlando Magic 95-92 in Overtime Tuesday night at Amway Center. Josh Richardson led the way for the HEAT with 18 points.
1. Rookies Show Their Worth
In Training Camp, both Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson were lauded for their defensive prowess. Against the Magic, the rookies showed that plus a little bit more. As mentioned before, Richardson led the HEAT with 18 points and also had three rebounds, three steals and an assist. The rookie out of Tennessee showed his speed on some nifty drives to the hoop and also knocked down shots from the perimeter.
Winslow, meanwhile, relentlessly attacked the rim and absorbed a lot of contact. As the game wore on, he started to convert on those tough drives. Late in overtime, Winslow exploded to the rim to tie the game at 92 with 33.4 seconds left.
Defensively, Winslow was his usual self and wrecked havoc against Orlando. On one play in particular at the end of the first half, Winslow stayed with Victor Oladipo as he drove to the hoop and swatted his shot attempt cleanly. The former Blue Devil finished the game with 12 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
2. Another Comeback For Miami
Behind Gerald Green and Chris Andersen, the HEAT went on a 24-6 run to take an 80-76 lead with 1:39 left in the fourth. However, Orlando tied the game to force overtime. Throughout the contest, Green knocked down a bunch of pull-up mid-range jumpers, but had one go in and out at the end of regulation that would have won the game. Andersen, meanwhile, threw down some thunderous dunks and scored 10 of his 12 points in the fourth. He also had eight boards and a block on the night.
Otherwise, the play of the game for Miami came in that all-important fourth quarter when Green found James Ennis on the break for the alley-oop.
3. Keith Benson Looks Sharp
After a strong showing late in the fourth quarter against the Spurs, Benson carried that over and got off to a quick start against the Magic. In the first quarter, he had an impressive tip-in off a Winslow missed jumper. Benson also showed discipline defensively on Dewayne Dedmon. Overall, the big man has shown a knack for following plays and working hard on the offensive glass. In all, Benson totaled 12 points and 11 boards on Tuesday night.
4. Ball Movement
While it was a defensive battle, the HEAT displayed solid ball movement against Orlando. It won’t show up in the box score, but the team made crisp passes and moved the ball side-to-side in order to get the best possible shot. Unfortunately, the shots just weren’t falling for a majority of the game. Still, it was encouraging to see a lot of the young guys work the ball around and display maturity beyond their years.
Other Takeaways:
-Greg Whittington had a very strong performance, which included a huge block against Jordan Sibert towards the end of the fourth quarter. Along with that block, Whittington tallied seven points and 12 rebounds.
-Tre Kelley also made the most of his opportunity on Tuesday night. He setup his teammates with some excellent passes and led the team with seven assists.
Game Notes:
-Late in the first quarter, Tyler Johnson took a hard fall on a drive to the hoop and exited the game shortly thereafter with a bruised lower back.
-Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Goran Dragic, Luol Deng, Hassan Whiteside, Mario Chalmers, Josh McRoberts, Amar’e Stoudemire and Udonis Haslem did not play.
Game Highlights: