Heat top Magic 99-96 in rare low-scoring game this season
Duncan Robinson scored 23 points, Bam Adebayo hit the go-ahead jumper with 18.5 seconds left and the Miami Heat beat the Orlando Magic 99-96 on Friday night.
Adebayo finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Heat, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 19 points.
Paolo Banchero finished with 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Magic. He missed three tries in the final seconds -- two from relatively close range with Orlando down by one on its next-to-last possession, then a desperation 30-footer on the game's final attempt.
Moe Wagner scored 19, Chuma Okeke had 16 and Joe Ingles added 14 for Orlando, which is 7-12 in its last 19 games. The Magic opened a four-game, six-night trip that also includes stops in Oklahoma City, New York and Atlanta.
It was only the seventh time this season that an NBA game was won without scoring 100 points. Miami had been 0-6 in such games this season; the Magic had been 8-0 when holding teams under 100.
Banchero made a tough turnaround with 1:10 left to get the Magic within one. Orlando got a stop on the next Miami possession and went to Banchero again. He hit from the right baseline to put the Magic up 96-95 with 38 seconds remaining.
It was Orlando's first lead since late in the third quarter, but Adebayo put the Heat ahead to stay on the next possession.
Miami was again without Jimmy Butler, whose right foot injury is improving but had to sit for the 10th time in the last 11 games. Kyle Lowry (sprained left hand) missed his second straight game and Tyler Herro (strained right shoulder) sat out after getting hurt in Wednesday's loss to Oklahoma City.
The Heat got Caleb Martin back after he missed seven games with a sprained ankle; he finished with 11 points.
Orlando was without Franz Wagner (sprained ankle) and Wendell Carter Jr. (sore right knee). It was the fourth consecutive missed game for both; Carter has appeared in only 13 games so far this season.
Miami improved to 8-0 against Southeast Division opponents, keeping the Heat as the last team in the NBA unbeaten in division games this season. Boston is 10-1 in division games, Minnesota is 4-1 – and every other team has dropped at least two such games already this year.
The other end of that spectrum: Detroit and San Antonio are 1-7, Washington is 1-9 and Toronto is 0-9.
The Heat conclude their four-game homestand Sunday against Charlotte, a game that will include a ceremony commemorating Dwyane Wade's enshrinement into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year.
UP NEXT
Magic: Visit Oklahoma City on Saturday.
Heat: Host Charlotte on Sunday.
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