After losing consecutive road games to the Boston Celtics, the Orlando Magic will face another Eastern Conference rival when they take on the visiting Miami Heat on Wednesday night.
Orlando brings a nine-game home winning streak into the contest against Miami, which lost 112-108 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.
The Magic are looking to regroup after shooting 38.2 percent from the field in a 114-97 loss to Boston on Sunday.
Orlando forward Paolo Banchero had 36 points and 10 rebounds, but Jalen Suggs was the only other Magic player to score in double figures (13). Franz Wagner was held to eight points on 3-of-14 shooting from the floor.
Despite the team’s shooting woes, Orlando remained within striking distance for much of the game while committing just eight turnovers.
“This is not a moral victory,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “We competed, we’re growing. Those are great things, and that’s the truth. The reality is these guys are not happy about not getting the game because they feel they’re at a good level of basketball and we can compete against the best teams.”
One bright spot against Boston was the play of Banchero, who posted his sixth double-double of the season while shooting 14 of 30 from the field. He had 26 points in the first half.
“Just taking what they give me,” Banchero said. “…Trying to play at my own pace, use my size, and then just be aggressive — take my shots, make my shots. I would have liked to play better in the second half, but that’s a tough team.”
Orlando has lost eight of its last 10 meetings against Miami, which welcomed two of its key starters back to the lineup on Monday.
Bam Adebayo returned after missing seven games with a left hip contusion, while Tyler Herro was back after missing 18 games with a sprained right ankle. Both made an immediate impact in the loss to Minnesota.
Herro scored a team-high 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting in 33 minutes.
“Obviously my wind was still needing to catch up, but I felt good,” Herro said. “I felt more rhythm than I anticipated, but I thought I did a good job. … I knew I’d be back, and I didn’t want to fall out of the routine. I stuck with it and tried to prepare myself as best as possible to come back.”
Adebayo also played a key role against Minnesota, which improved to 20-5. The two-time All-Star contributed 22 points, six rebounds and six assists in 36 minutes.
“Came out unscathed,” Adebayo said. “I walked off the court healthy, happy. I was just really getting to enjoy competition again. That’s the main thing: Go out and compete, get some of this rust off and get back at it.”
Their return helped to lengthen Miami’s lineup, as five players scored in double figures against the Timberwolves. Jimmy Butler had 15 points, Duncan Robinson 14 and Josh Richardson 13, while Kevin Love added nine points and 10 rebounds.
Butler (left calf strain) and Love (stomach illness) have been ruled out for Wednesday’s game.
Heat point guard Kyle Lowry sat out Monday’s game with soreness. The 37-year-old has made a team-high 25 starts this season and has averaged 10.1 points and 3.7 assists over his last seven games.
–Field Level Media
