I only watched this game to see how the Heat were progressing offensively. I had predicted to a number of people that the Magic were going to blowout a still out-of-sync Miami team; in fact, I specifically envisioned an Orlando victory of 25+ points. The outcome could not have been much further from expectations.
The Miami Heat pillaged the game with a final score of 96-70. Damn! The Heat frustrated the Magic throughout the contest with stifling defense. Last year, Orlando made more 3 point shots in a season than any team in the history of professional basketball. Last night, however, the Miami Heat held them to only four shots made from behind the 3-point line.
Let it also be known that Orlando won all of their preseason games by an average of 25 points, and they scored over 100 points in EACH of those games. How on Earth did this brand new, still rocky Miami Heat team hold the Magic to such a low number? Erik Spoelstra spent the entire preseason working almost exclusively on defensive strategy. Last night, the statement was made a number of times, "Defense wins championships." It is no secret that that is exactly what the Miami Heat have in mind.
Their defense held the Magic to only 10 points in the third quarter and only 5 assists for the game, a franchise low. An evidently frustrated Dwight Howard fouled out of the game, and the Miami audience couldn't have been more delighted.
There were several standing ovations for the home team throughout the game. Last night they silenced all doubters with a victory over their division rival and an Eastern Conference goliath. The Miami Heat are improving at an imperceptible rate. Their defense was remarkable last night, and their offensive potential is terrifying. If the Heat continue to improve like they have done so far over the course of the season, this may very well be a championship team.
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