The Miami Heat defeated the host Orlando Magic 108-96 on Wednesday night at the Amway Center to kick off the 2016-17 season.
Orlando (0-1) was expected to be the more improved team while the Heat (1-0) were supposed to decline, but that didn’t show in the opener. A 37-16 run in the second half is when the Heat really pulled away and the Magic simply couldn’t respond. Defense was key for Miami, as they held Orlando to 39 percent shooting and outrebounded them 53-44. Points in the paint was a huge factor as well, with the Heat recording 74 paint points to the Magic’s 36.
Many people pegged the Heat as a subpar team, but they showed some resiliency in an impressive opener. Hassan Whiteside was a beast, as he tallied a team-high 18 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks in the win. Justice Winslow played well too, accumulating 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Goran Dragic was in foul trouble all night, but still finished with 16 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Orlando went with a short eight-man rotation in the opener and it simply didn’t go well. All five starters did score in double figures, but none of them shot over 50 percent from the field. Evan Fournier led the team in scoring, totaling 20 points, four rebounds and four assists in the defeat. Nikola Vucevic recorded a double-double, amassing 17 points and 14 rebounds. Aaron Gordon played 35 minutes in the defeat, scoring 12 points, grabbing eight boards and dishing out four assists.
Both teams return to action on Friday, as the Magic travel to Detroit to play the Pistons and the Heat host the Charlotte Hornets.
