Magic Stun Heat with Historic Comeback, Hand Miami Crushing Loss

The Miami Heat suffered a stunning defeat on Saturday night, blowing a massive 22-point fourth-quarter lead to the injury-depleted Orlando Magic in a 121-114 loss. It marked the first time in over five years that a team squandered such a lead entering the final period, snapping a league-wide streak of 796 consecutive wins under similar circumstances.


Entering the fourth quarter, Miami seemed poised for an easy victory with a commanding 106-84 lead. What followed, however, was a nightmare of epic proportions. The Heat were outscored 37-8 in the fourth quarter, hitting just 2 of 18 shots and going 0 for 8 from three-point range. In the first 10:10 of the period, the Heat managed just three points.

“We relaxed because we were up,” said Heat center Bam Adebayo, reflecting on the collapse. “That’s the karma of the game. You relax, and then you let a guy get hot, and it goes the other way.”

That guy was Magic guard Cole Anthony, who delivered a scorching 13 of his season-high 35 points in the final quarter, spearheading Orlando’s comeback. The Magic, already without stars Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs, lost two more key players—Wendell Carter Jr. (ejection) and Mo Wagner (knee injury)—but found a way to prevail.

For the Heat, the loss was a painful addition to a growing list of gut-wrenching defeats this season. It was yet another chapter in a campaign marked by late-game collapses and missteps, including previous losses in which they failed to even attempt game-tying shots after timeouts or blew overtime leads.

“This one hurts,” said head coach Erik Spoelstra. “These are tough lessons that we all have to learn.”

Tyler Herro, who has been a bright spot for Miami this season, shouldered the blame for the team’s inability to close out the game. Herro, who finished with a team-high 23 points, was scoreless in the fourth quarter, missing all five of his attempts. His four turnovers, tied with Adebayo for a team high, proved costly.

“It’s my responsibility to take care of [the ball] going down the stretch,” Herro said. “Making the right plays for us to win. So I’ll be better.”

One silver lining for the Heat was the play of rookie center Kel’el Ware. In his first NBA game since Nov. 27, Ware made an impact off the bench, scoring eight points on 4-for-4 shooting, grabbing seven rebounds, and adding two blocks in just 14 minutes. Miami outscored Orlando by 26 points with Ware on the floor, underscoring his potential.

“It’s always great to play,” Ware said postgame. “I got the opportunity tonight and did what I could.”

With Kevin Love out for personal reasons, Ware took full advantage of his extended minutes, a promising sign for the No. 15 pick as he continues to develop.

The Heat, now 13-13 on the season, return home to face the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. With Jimmy Butler sidelined due to a stomach illness, Miami will need to regroup quickly to prevent their current three-game losing streak from spiraling further.

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