The Miami HEAT defeated the Orlando Magic 107-77 Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Goran Dragić led the way for the HEAT with 17 points.
1. Dragić Kicks It Into High-Gear
From the start, Dragić was in attack mode against the Magic. Early on, the point guard pushed the pace and scored on the break whenever the opportunity presented itself. As the game progressed however, Dragić started to do damage in the half court thanks to solid screens from his teammates.
Still, one of his best plays of the evening came in transition. It all started when Udonis Haslem grabbed a defensive rebound with 9:24 left in the second period. Haslem then gave it to Dragić, who hit Stephen Zimmerman with a nifty spin-move while gaining control of the ball. From there, the Dragon raced down court, faked out Damjan Rudez with a little stutter-step and finished the play.
Whether it was nifty finishes like that or in-rhythm mid-range jumpers, Dragić had it all on display. In addition to his 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting, the 30-year-old also tallied five assists, four rebounds and a block.
2. Waiters Makes It Look Easy
Dion Waiters started and ended the first half with a bang on Tuesday night. After scoring Miami’s first five points of the game, Waiters scored the team’s final six points of the second quarter.
Ending the first half on a high note is always important, but it’s how the 24-year-old did so that was impressive. First, he used his strength to convert an and-one over Elfrid Payton. Then on the HEAT’s next possession, he nailed a 43-foot buzzer beater with three Orlando defenders in the vicinity.
Otherwise, Waiters continued to beat his man off the dribble and cause trouble for the opposition with the ball in his hands. The former Syracuse star ended up with 15 points, three boards, two assists and two steals.
3. James Johnson Defends Well
On the flip side of the ball, Johnson got into the paint as usual. He finished the contest with six points, three rebounds and a plus-13 rating in addition to his three aforementioned blocks. However, he exited the game after slightly tweaking his left foot.
While Johnson stood out in particular defensively, the HEAT as a whole suffocated the Magic. In all, the team held Orlando to just 33.7 percent shooting and made nothing come easy.
Other Takeaways:
-Aiding in that cause was Tyler Johnson, who did a little bit of everything against the Magic. He attacked the basket for some tough layups in traffic, created for his teammates and defended Payton well. For an example of his improved playmaking, just look at this fantastic pass to Okaro White in the fourth quarter.
In all, Johnson tallied 15 points, four assists, three boards and a block.
Game Note:
Josh McRoberts (right foot), Josh Richardson (sprained right MCL), Luke Babbitt (groin strain), Justise Winslow (back tightness) and Hassan Whiteside (personal reasons) all sat out.
Looking Ahead:
The HEAT will be back in action on Thursday against the Hornets before heading back home for a matchup with the Sixers the following night. Tickets for the game against Philadelphia can be found here.