The Heat’s first quarter would be impressive against any opponent. But this is the Orlando Magic, a team who’s developed a reputation as one of the stingiest defenses in the NBA under current head coach Jamahl Mosley, That’s continued into this season, as the Magic’s 111.8 defensive rating entering this game is tied for fifth-best in the NBA with … the Heat.
Clearly, the absence of Franz Wagner, Orlando’s leading scorer, needed some getting used to on both ends of the floor. Fortunately for Mosley’s squad, the Magic defense played much more true to form in the second quarter to allow Orlando to claw back into this one.