Miami Heat Blown Out In Season-Opening Loss To Orlando Magic

Shandel Richardson | Oct 23, 2024

Oct 23, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat president Pat Riley addresses the crowd during the Pat Riley Court dedication ceremony at halftime at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The night began as a celebration for Miami Heat team president Pat Riley.

It ended with an ugly loss to the Orlando Magic in the season opener at Kaseya Center.

On the night the Heat named the court after Riley, they were blown out 116-97 Wednesday. The poor performance spoiled the night.

The Heat had no answer for the tandem of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Banchero finished with 33 points and 11 rebounds while Wagner had 23 points on 10 of 16 shooting.

The Heat sputtered on offense, shooting just 38 percent from the field. Guard Terry Rozier led the way with 19 points, but stars Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro all struggled. Adebayo and Butler combined to shoot 2 of 13 for 12 points while Herro finished with 14 points.

The game was a reminder of the Heat choosing to keep the same roster this offseason instead of making moves during free agency. The positive was the organization put on a solid ceremony for Riley, who transformed the Heat in the mid 1990s.

An expansion franchise, the Heat has become arguably one of the top franchises in league history. Since Riley's arrival, they have won three championships in seven appearances in the NBA Finals. Much of that can be attributed to Riley because of his ability to attract players like LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal and Chris Bosh.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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