Magic Snaps Losing Streak, Escapes OT Collapse vs. Heat

The Miami Heat put a lot of pressure on the Orlando Magic, but the home team pulled out a massive victory Saturday night.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 11, 2023

Magic Snaps Losing Streak, Escapes OT Collapse vs. Heat /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is breathing a huge sigh of relief after a 126-114 overtime win against the Miami Heat.

The Magic nearly fumbled the game after leading by 15 points midway through the fourth quarter, but the Heat wasn't going to gift a win to its in-state rival.

A 17-5 run brought the Heat to within three points and in striking distance to tie the game.

With 14.5 seconds to go and the Magic leading 106-103, Paolo Banchero was called for a foul on Jimmy Butler while shooting a three. However, the Magic challenged the call and was successful.

The Heat had one more chance to win the game, but opted for a quick two-point score from Kyle Lowry. Miami fouled Jalen Suggs, who sunk both free throws for two of his 16 points off the bench.

With five seconds to go, the Heat had one last chance to tie the game, and this time, Butler connected on the three to go to overtime. He finished the contest with a game-high 38 points.

In overtime, the Magic went up by eight points within the first two minutes and cruised from there.

The win snaps a three-game losing streak for Orlando, who grabs a much-needed win to finish the homestand. The Magic was led by Wendell Carter Jr., who returned after a two-game absence with hip soreness, with a team-high 27 points and 10 rebounds. Banchero and Franz Wagner also scored 17 points apiece, but the latter left the game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury and did not return.

The Magic play its next game Tuesday night against the San Antonio Spurs to start a four-game road trip. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.

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Published Mar 11, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.