Heat Overcome 17 Point Deficit, Defeat Magic 89-88 on Tyler Herro Game Winner

The Miami Heat (15-13) got revenge on the Orlando Magic (19-13), winning 89-88 thanks to a Tyler Herro game-winner Thursday night at the Kia Center. The Magic blew a 17 point lead after coming back from a 25 point deficit against the Heat last week.

Despite Jalen Suggs’ 29 point outing, the Magic could not hold onto their second half double digit lead. The Magic came into the game as the best fourth quarter team this season, having a +4.5 4th quarter margin.

Quarter by Quarter Flow

Basketball is often called a game of runs, and that was true in this matchup. The Magic started off on fire, holding Miami scoreless through five minutes. They had a 14-0 lead, the second largest to start a game in Orlando Magic history. They outscored the Heat 21-5 in the first six minutes of play, with Suggs leading the way with 12 points.

However, Miami overcame their six quick turnovers, as they forced seven of their own. The sloppy play from the Orlando bench allowed the Heat to score 17 points in the next six minutes of the quarter. Third-year big Nikola Jović put up eight points during this stretch, which cut the lead to single digits.

The teams matched blows to start the second, but the Heat strung together a 14-4 run after a timeout by Erik Spoelstra. Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s five points helped Miami get it back within four points, but the Magic wouldn’t go away.

To end the quarter, Orlando went 8-1, with Tristan De Silva and Suggs each scoring two points and assisting on a basket. Both teams played undisciplined basketball in the half, each having double digit turnovers in the first half.

Coming out of halftime, the Heat came out hot, hitting three threes, with veteran guard Haywood Highsmith hitting two to shave the lead down to five points. This great shooting from the Heat kept them in the game, as they connected with 10 threes early in the game to the Magic’s three 3-pointers. The Magic went 0-18 in the second and third quarter from behind the arc.

After their timeout, Suggs continued his great game, scoring six straight and assisting De Silva on a fastbreak dunk. The young duo combined for 42 of Orlando’s 71 points through three quarters, helping the Magic have a 10 point lead through 36 minutes of play.

Jalen Suggs blowing kiss to crowd (Matt Brady / FL Teams).

Starting in the fourth, veteran Alek Burks, who has hurt the Magic in the past, scored 10 points for the Heat. This sparked a 19-5 run for Miami, giving them their first lead of the game. They got the lead all the way to five with three minutes left in the game.

The Magic then attempted a comeback of their own, with a Kentavius Caldwell Pope three cutting it to one. Burks then fouled Suggs to give the Magic a chance to take the lead back. Trevelin Queen threw a lob to Goga Bitadze and was able to lay it in after the ball was tossed around by four players with 4.9 seconds left on the clock, giving the Magic the lead.

But Tyler Herro played hero ball, shooting a midrange jumper over Queen with 0.5 seconds left in the game.

“I just wanted to get to my sweet spot, I got the shot I wanted in rhythm,” Herro said. “None of it’s possible without my teammates. Alec Burks bringing us back. Everyone is stepping up.”

“When it comes down to it, it’s time to make shots and he made a timely one,” Suggs said. “You just have to tip your cap.”

Tyler Herro in transition after shot (Matt Brady / FL Teams).

Suggs was able to get a good look at it from three, but the shot rimmed out, as Miami clung onto the win.

“They’re not all going to drop,” Suggs said. “Teammates still gave me love, but it doesn’t take all of the pain away.”

The Magic’s three point shooting woes and turnovers defined the game, as the team shot 17.2% compared to Miami’s 50%. Orlando’s 23 turnovers were a season high, giving up 25 points off those turnovers.

“When you turn it over and shoot 17% from the three point line, you’re not giving yourself many chances,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “We still fought until the end because that’s what we’re going to do.”

Next Up

The Magic will look to win on a back to back Friday night against the red-hot New York Knicks. New York has already defeated Orlando twice this season and snapped the Magic’s undefeated home game streak in the last matchup. Tip-off is at 7:00 PM.

For the Heat, they continue their road trip, traveling to Atlanta to take on the Hawks. This marks the first game between the clubs this year, with the Heat winning seven out of the last 10 games against the Hawks. Tip-off is at 3:00 PM on Dec. 28 (Saturday).

Other notes

  • The Magic set a franchise record with 43 consecutive free throws made. This is the longest streak in the NBA since play-by-play tracking began.
  • Miami is 80-61 all-time against Orlando.
  • Miami Heat star forward Jimmy Butler was confirmed to stay on the team by Pat Riley before the game despite trade rumors. Butler missed Thursday’s game due to return to competition reconditioning.
  • This matchup marked the first time either team did not reach 90 points in an Orlando Magic game since 2016.

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