Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner each scored 24 points, Desmond Bane added 23 in his Orlando debut, and the Magic rallied late to beat the Miami Heat 125-121 on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.
Norman Powell led the Heat with 28 points, while Bam Adebayo added 15 points and 12 rebounds. Andrew Wiggins chipped in 18, and Davion Mitchell had 16 points and 12 assists for Miami, which led by seven midway through the fourth quarter before going more than four minutes without a field goal.
That drought opened the door for Orlando. Magic guard Jalen Suggs — a surprise starter after missing the second half of last season and the entire preseason — came up clutch down the stretch. Suggs, who scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, had several key defensive plays, including a late steal and layup that cut Miami’s lead to 111-110.
Suggs then hit a short jumper with 58.7 seconds remaining to give the Magic the lead for good, and Wendell Carter Jr.’s two free throws with 6.1 seconds left sealed the win.
“It felt amazing just to be back out there competing,” Suggs said. “I’ve been through a lot, and to help close out a win like that — it’s everything I’ve been working for.”
Bane, making his Orlando debut after signing a five-year contract over the summer, made an immediate impact. He hit his first two 3-pointers and finished 3-of-7 from beyond the arc while showing his trademark toughness and floor leadership.
Miami came out hot offensively, taking a 39-38 lead after the first quarter — the highest-scoring opening period in the 143-game history of the intrastate rivalry. But Orlando’s balanced attack, fueled by Banchero’s power drives and Wagner’s perimeter shooting, wore down the Heat as the game progressed.
The Heat were without leading scorer Tyler Herro, who underwent surgery on his left ankle on Sept. 19. Without Herro’s perimeter threat, Miami leaned heavily on Powell, who delivered efficiently but couldn’t carry the offense in crunch time.
“It’s early, and we’ll learn from this,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We had a couple of dry possessions at the wrong time. Orlando played with great energy late.”
The Magic, coming off their best season in over a decade, opened the year with a statement win — highlighted by resilience and contributions across the board.
Heat: Visit Memphis on Friday night. Magic: Host Atlanta on Friday night.
