Magic turn back cold-shooting Heat, 105-85
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Terrence Ross scored 25 points, Nikola Vucevic added 20 points and 11 rebounds and the Orlando Magic shut down the Miami Heat in the fourth quarter in a 105-85 victory Friday night.
Miami scored only six points in the fourth quarter, going 3 for 19 from the field. Jimmy Butler had 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat.
Aaron Gordon had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Magic, and Evan Fournier scored 15 points despite spending most of the game in foul trouble.
One day after holding the Toronto Raptors to 6-of-42 shooting from 3-point range in a victory at Miami, the Heat shot 7 for 37 from long range and 37.5% overall.
After Vucevic and Gordon combined for three 3-pointers in quick succession to give the Magic to a 67-49 lead early in the third quarter, the Heat responded with a 14-3 run.
Meyers Leonard then hit pair of 3-pointers to cut Orlando’s lead to four.
But Miami wet scoreless for more than 3 1/2 minutes at the outset of the fourth quarter, missing five shots and turning the ball over three times. Another 3-pointer by Gordon and a short jump hook by Vucevic pushed the margin to 18 points with 4:29 left.
TIP-INS
Heat: F Justise Winslow missed his 14th straight game with a lower back bruise. . . . It was the first of four meetings between the intrastate rivals this season and the 120th regular-season meeting. Miami leads the series 65-55.
Magic: F Jonathan Isaac is expected to miss two months with a left knee injury. . . G Michael Carter-Williams, who missed a sixth game with a left shoulder injury, is “quite a ways away” according to coach Steve Clifford . . . The Magic came into the game as the lowest-scoring team in the NBA (103.4 ppg) and the fewest turnovers (12.76 per game).
UP NEXT
Heat: Host Portland on Sunday night.
Magic: Host Utah on Saturday night.