The Magic improved to 3-0 in the preseason when Orlando beat the Heat at Kia Center on Sunday night.
Jamahl Mosley‘s squad led by as many as 24 points in the 16-point win, as Magic stars Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane rested ahead of next week’s regular season opener against Miami.
The Magic continued to convert at a high level from the free-throw line when they shot 33-of-38 (86.8%) and outrebounded the Heat 60-41, including a 23-14 advantage on the offensive glass.
Still, Orlando fouled Miami plenty and sent their in-state rival to the free-throw line 34 times (Miami only made 25 attempts), and The Magic only shot 32.5% from beyond the arc (13 of 40).
Before the Magic shift their focus to Thursday’s preseason finale against the Pelicans, here’s what stood out from Sunday’s victory:
Still too many turnovers
It’s a small sample size, but through three preseason games, the Magic are averaging 19.7 turnovers per night, the ninth-most across the league according to NBA.com.
More specifically, Orlando has averaged 11.7 turnovers during the first half of each exhibition, which is when Mosley has played majority of his starters this preseason. That mark is fourth-most among first-half averages.
On Sunday, Miami scored 27 points off 20 turnovers, which was slightly up from the 21 points scored off 19 turnovers in the first preseason meeting between the Sunshine State foes over a week ago in Puerto Rico.
Mosley pointed to a number of reasons why the Magic have failed to take care of the ball, including the team’s intention to play at a faster pace. He also pointed to Orlando’s lack of success with post-entry passes, which accounted for two turnovers in the first half.
“You talk about the unselfish play, so guys are trying to make the pass and that’s a great thing,” Mosley said. “Now, we’ve just got to find the outlets and the windows in the right places for them to be. You also don’t want guys turning down shots. A lot of times when you turn down a shot, you now drive into a crowd and it doesn’t keep the same rhythm, the same flow within your offense.
“They’re trying to do the right thing … Those are the fundamentals that we’ll continue to work on,” he added.
Jase and Jett
After third-year pro Jett Howard crossed up a Heat defender and sunk his second 3-pointer from the left wing, rookie Jase Richardson embraced him with a chest bump when Miami called timeout early in the fourth quarter.
Richardson (13 points) and Howard (11) were the lone members of Orlando’s bench to finish in double-digit scoring, and they enjoyed playing alongside each other.
“It was super fun,” said Richardson, the No. 25 pick in June’s draft out of Michigan State. “We were having fun, just cracking jokes. When he gets hot like that and he’s knocking down 3s, he’s enjoying himself. So, I’m trying trying to find him and get him those shots.”
Added Howard in the locker room: “We had some good chemistry. That’s my little homie. I felt comfortable out there with him. It’s just fun to play with smart guys like him. So, we appreciate the rook.”
Franz’s free throws
Franz Wagner made at least 10 free throws in a game only three times during the last regular season. In fact, Wagner had more instances where he attempted zero free throws (five), according to basketball-reference.com.
Against Miami, however, Wagner shot 10 for 10 at the charity stripe and used his trips to the line to boost himself to a team-high 17 points in just 16 minutes of first-half action.
Known for his fancy footwork to avoid defenders when attacking the paint, Wagner instead sought contact in a concerted effort at times Sunday.
“Ever since he got here, when he’s in attack mode [and] aggressive, he just makes it so much easier for everyone around him because his IQ for the game is also high,” teammate Wendell Carter Jr. said. “He understands he has a magnet. He’s going to draw a lot of defenders after beating the first one.
“Playing with a guy like him, he just understands the game at such a high level that when he’s in attack mode, he’s doing what’s right for the team.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
