MIAMI — It’s not quite the precise NBA maxim, but for the Miami Heat it stands to ring true Wednesday against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center, “No rebounds, no opening-night win.”

With the teams having met twice in the preseason, there is little question about what will be front and center on Erik Spoelstra’s scouting report ahead of the start of the franchise’s 38th season.

In the teams’ first preseason meeting, a 126-118 Orlando win, the Magic outrebounded the Heat 57-40 and outscored the Heat 42-13 on second-chance points.

In the second exhibition matchup, a 120-104 Orlando victory, the Magic outrebounded the Heat 60-41 and outscored the Heat 29-21 on second-chance points.

“That’s what they do,” said forward Nikola Jovic, as the Heat continued practice Monday at Kaseya Center in advance of Wednesday night’s opener. “That’s one of those games you prepare for that game especially for that. Maybe some other games you can cheat on rebounding. Games like this, you’ve got to know they’re going to crash.”

It is what the Magic do.

Orlando finished the preseason ranked first in the NBA in offensive-rebound percentage, recovering a staggering 44.3% of their missed shots, as part of an overall rebounding percentage that placed second in the league.

On the flip side were the Heat during their 0-6 preseason, only the second winless preseason in franchise history.

During the preseason, the Heat ranked 26th in the league in rebounding percentage and 29th in defensive-rebound percentage, recovering only 64.6% of opponents’ missed shots.

Of all the aspects of a disappointing preseason, forward Norman Powell said that was among the most discouraging.

“We got to be the toughest. We have to have an intentional mentality to finish possessions,” the prime Heat offseason addition said. “A lot of times in the preseason, we don’t want to be that team that works hard for 23, 22 seconds and we’re giving up rebounds. It kind of defeats the purpose and it’s deflating.”

So back to the laboratory it has been amid this four-day break.

“It’s deflating, but it’s lessons behind that,” center Bam Adebayo said of the rebounds that got away. “Obviously you go into the huddle, whoever missed the boxout, that’s their bad and we talk about it and you move on. And that’s how you collectively grow as a team.”

In that case, there has been ample growth cultivated by the two punishing losses to the new tough guy in the Southeast Division.

“That’s the first thing to defense,” Adebayo said. “We talk about getting stops. But once you get the stop, you’ve got to get the rebound. So my main thing for us is just focus on our boxouts.”

Last season, the Heat finished fourth in the NBA in defensive-rebound percentage, recovering 72.4% of opponent missed shots.

If the Magic send five to the glass, then Jovic said it is incumbent the Heat match those bodies.

“Other than having three guys on the glass, you got to have four or five,” he said.

Or else the preseason pain turns into regular-season reality, with the game in Orlando the start of a challenging opening schedule.

“It’s a mentality, an intentional approach to completing the possession on the defensive end and going up and getting that rebound,” Powell said. “It’s not just about hitting or watching. It’s about having the intent and the mentality to go up and grab the rebound.

“A lot of times in those two games, we watched a lot of bobbles, hesitation, and things like that. We’ve got to have that determination to go grab, snatch it, secure the rebound.”

Basically, the Heat will be looking to crash the Magic’s crashing party.

“Are they going to grab some rebounds? Probably,” Jovic said. “But we’ve got to make sure it’s not something that’s going to affect the game that much.”

Originally Published: October 20, 2025 at 10:07 AM EDT