Orlando Magic Open Season Against Rival Miami Heat Wednesday

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic will host the Miami Heat in their season opener on Wednesday, following disappointing first-round playoff exits for both teams last season.

Last year, the Boston Celtics eliminated the Magic in five games in the playoffs. The Heat, who became the first No. 10 seed in NBA history to advance past the play-in tournament, faced a sweep by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round, including a 55-point loss in Game 4.

The Magic, finishing the previous season at 41-41, are viewed as a rising team in the Eastern Conference. Despite injuries to key players like Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs, and the Wagner brothers, Franz and Moritz, they captured a second consecutive Southeast Division title. Moritz Wagner remains sidelined with an ACL injury.

Orlando added guard Desmond Bane, acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies, to strengthen their lineup. “Our strength is our depth,” said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley. “Our guys are going to play to the level of fatigue and then we have the next group coming in ready to go.” The team had the best scoring defense in the league last season, allowing just 105.5 points per game, though they struggled with perimeter shooting.

Bane, known for his outside shooting, boasts a career 41% shooting from three-point range and contributed 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game last season.

On the other side, the Heat will be without star guard Tyler Herro, who had foot surgery in September. They recently brought in veteran guard Norman Powell to bolster their roster alongside established players like Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins. “Norman has played a lot of different roles and has always been efficient,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

Miami aims to improve on their tendency to lose leads, having lost 22 games after leading by double digits last season. This includes a notable 25-point loss to the Magic in December, which was the biggest comeback in franchise history for Orlando.

In their previous meeting to open last season, the Heat lost by 19 points but managed to split the season series overall. Historically, Miami has a 20-17 record in season openers, while Orlando stands at 21-15.