Banchero's 33, Third-Quarter Run Power Magic's Opening-Night Romp in Miami

The Orlando Magic beat the Miami Heat 116-97 in the 2024-25 NBA season opener for both teams. A 39-18 third quarter turned a close game into a rout.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) brings the ball up the court against the Miami Heat during the second half at Kaseya Center. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

MIAMI – The first half of Wednesday night's season opener between the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat had all the makings of a 48-minute slugfest.

The Florida rivals traded the lead 17 times in the first 24 minutes. Orlando led 58-54 at the break.

Only one team showed up for the second half.

After a 25-minute intermission to honor Heat president Pat Riley and name the court in his honor, the Magic quickly spoiled the party. A 12-0 run propelled a 39-18 third quarter and the Magic never looked back, cruising to a 116-97 victory.

"We knew that they had the ceremony going on at halftime, so we knew we were gonna have more time to rest, stretch out, do whatever we needed to do," forward Paolo Banchero said. "That whole time, we were trying to keep the energy high, keep reminding ourselves that we have to start fast in the third quarter, and that's exactly what we did."

Banchero's 33-point, 11-rebound double-double made him the first Magic player to score 30 or more points on opening night since Tracy McGrady in 2003. Only Shaquille O'Neal, with 42 points in 1993, scored more in a Magic opener.

"There's a reason why great players are great," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said postgame. "The reason why he's great is because he's humble, he works, he cares about his teammates, and he's not changing who he is regardless of what comes his way."

Franz Wagner had 23 points, shooting 10-of-16 from the field and drilling three of his six triples. Gary Harris scored 18, making six three-pointers in nine attempts. As a team, Orlando made 18 of its 49 three-point shots – a stark contrast from last year's NBA-low of 31.3 attempts a game.

Orlando out-rebounded Miami by 15, limited its turnovers, and turned consecutive defensive stops into offense.

The Magic's sizable gap on the scoreboard allowed the bench to empty for the final five minutes, as the fans inside the Kaseya Center had already headed for the exits. Rookie swingman Tristan da Silva saw his first NBA action, logging five minutes and missing his only shot attempt.

Jonathan Isaac left the game in the fourth quarter after 11 minutes of playing time, spilling to the court and heading to the locker room. He has a sore left hip, but Mosley said "he's good" postgame.

The runaway victory was the Magic's first opening-night win on the road since 2003 and their first win in Miami since March 2019.

Up Next

The Magic make their regular-season home debut inside the Kia Center on Friday night, hosting the Brooklyn Nets at 7 p.m. ET.

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