Magic Rally Twice, Then Outlast Heat 136-130 In 2OT
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
MIAMI (AP) — Nik Vucevic had 26 points and 12 rebounds, Evan Fournier scored 26 and hit the 3-pointer that put Orlando up for good, and the Magic topped the Miami Heat 136-130 in double overtime Tuesday night.
Elfrid Payton scored 22 points and Serge Ibaka added 20 for the Magic, who beat Miami for the third time in the last 19 meetings.
Tyler Johnson had a career-high 32 points, the most any Heat reserve has ever scored in a game. Hassan Whiteside had 32 points and 15 rebounds for Miami, which wasted a five-point lead in the final minute of regulation and a four-point lead in the last 40 seconds of the first overtime.
Goran Dragic added 19 for Miami. The Heat — the NBA's worst foul-shooting team — missed one late in regulation that could have made it a three-point game, and four straight from the line in the first overtime that proved costly.
Fournier's 3-pointer with 1:26 left was the 27th and final lead change of the night. Of those, 20 came in a first half when the Heat shot 59 percent from the field, 70 percent from 3-point range and 92 percent from the line — way over their season averages in all three categories.
The Heat led by nine early in the fourth quarter before Orlando went on a 12-0 run.
TIP-INS
Magic: Dante Marchitelli, the sideline reporter on Magic television broadcasts, paid tribute to the late Craig Sager by wearing a jacket with a loud floral print and pink pocket square. ... Ibaka, who had a total of five 3-pointers his first 19 times facing the Heat, was 4 for 5 from beyond the arc.
Heat: The previous Heat scoring record by a reserve was 29 points, by Voshon Lenard in 1999. ... Whiteside became the second Heat player to have five consecutive 15-rebound games. Rony Seikaly was the other. ... Miami was without Wayne Ellington (strained right hamstring), Dion Waiters (groin) and Rodney McGruder (sprained left ankle).
REAL DEAL
Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield was at the game. He presented Alonzo Mourning with a custom Heat championship belt at halftime.
ROAD MAGIC
Orlando is only 5-10 at home, but 8-7 on the road. "I think we're a pretty good team," coach Frank Vogel said. "The bigger, more pressing question is why we haven't had success at home. I think we're a solid basketball team with realistic playoff aspirations."
DOUBLE DIGITS
This may seem a bit unusual for a team that's struggled to score at times: The Heat have a league-high eight players averaging 10 or more points per game — Dragic, Whiteside, Waiters, Ellington, Tyler Johnson, Winslow, Richardson and James Johnson.
UP NEXT
Magic: Visit the New York Knicks on Thursday, wrapping up a quick two-game trip.
Heat: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, ending a six-game homestand. Shaquille O'Neal's No. 32 Heat jersey will be retired at halftime.
(© Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)