Mateo’s Hoop Diary: “We have to understand who we are…” Heat can’t overcome the Magic’s inside and outside scoring

The Miami Heat were exposed by the desperate Orlando Magic in their fourth matchup of the season and remain winless against their in-state rivals. The latter was bigger, stronger and faster, plus Paolo Banchero and Anthony Black took over the game.

The Magic’s inside action was so devastating that the Heat surrendered the most first-quarter paint points of the season (26). The pick-6s also gave them trouble and zapped the offense as they ended the first quarter down seven points after going down as much as 13.

The second unit’s intensity in the zone defense, plus triggering the bonus for the last nine minutes of the half, which lowered Orlando’s RPMs, helped them capture the lead. It was a 41-point outburst, which included three trifectas by Simone Fontecchio and four shots in the restricted area between Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel’el Ware.

Additionally, the hosts slowed down the inside bleeding in the half-court, yet still struggled when Orlando punched the gas in transition.

They went into intermission ahead by nine following 10 lead changes and two ties, and subsequently experienced the infamous turd quarter. They failed to stop Banchero’s close-range action, and Anthony Black erupted from inside and out, too.

“We couldn’t guard,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “To give up a 40-point third quarter on our home floor, with great opportunity, and playing really well in the first half, we just paid the price for that.”

Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Fontecchio’s three treys plus a fastbreak strike lifted them nearly halfway out of the double-digit ditch, forcing Orlando to call a timeout. But the Magic were unfazed and answered with mid and long-range jumpers that killed Miami’s spirit.

The Heat lost 133-124. Their record is now 25-23 at eighth in the East.

Takeaways:

• The Magic came into the game on a four-game losing streak and were not messing around. They pummeled the lane early, went through their rough patch, and then figured out that as soon as the Heat face adversity, they fold. Another reason for their success was their superior play in the open court, which was partly due to Miami’s sloppiness with the ball. It was also the 11th time the Heat have given up at least 60 points in the lane, and they are 5-6 in those games.

• The Heat were able to stay in a zone longer in the second quarter because the Magic are a poor outside shooting team. Yet, the Magic stepped up with 50% shooting from deep in the second half, plus their 20 second-chance points was back-breaker.

• Ware’s two offensive rebounds turned into four second-chance points. He played decently for a spurt in the first half, but he was shelved for the rest of the game.

• The Heat didn’t have answers for Black. He was a force on and off the dribble, when attacking the lane, and he nailed four 3-pointers. His best spurts were the first and third quarters, scoring four field goals apiece. He has a first step that most of Miami’s defenders can’t hang with.

• Davion Mitchell and Tyler Herro were absent, so Kasparas Jakučiokis and Pelle Larsson started for them. Jakučionis had multiple steals, including one in full-court press that turned into a pick-6. Yet they only combined for 10 points on 36.3% shooting. Orlando’s versatile size is a tough matchup.