Paolo Banchero, Magic race past Heat with third-quarter surge

MIAMI, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Paolo Banchero and his exuberant Orlando Magic teammates blew by their Miami Heat foes on countless extra efforts, transforming a tight game into a blowout with a third-quarter onslaught Wednesday in Miami.

"It was fun," said Banchero, who scored a game-high 33 points in the 116-97 win. "It was run and gun."

The Magic, who made just 37% of their shots in the first half, sank 66.7% in the third quarter, when they outscored the Heat by 21 points.

"We were just trying to keep the energy high and remind each other that we had to start fast in the third and that's exactly what we did," Banchero said.

The Magic led by as many as 32 in the decisive, season-opening triumph.

Both teams struggled offensively to start the night, with the Heat making just two of their first eight attempts, while their foes made four of their first 12 shots. The Heat responded to the cold opening with a 10-0 run and 19-11 edge midway through the first quarter. The Magic rallied to tie the score at 32-32 to end the frame.

Banchero poured in 11 over the first 12 minutes. Nikola Jovic and veteran guard Terry Rozier scored nine apiece in the first quarter, which featured 11 lead changes.

The Magic outscored the Heat 26-22 in the second quarter and led 58-54 at halftime. Banchero scored 18 points in the first half. Magic guard Gary Harris chipped in 15 off the bench. Sharpshooting guard Tyler Herro paced the Heat with 14 points through the first two quarters.

Heat shooters were then extinguished, missing their first six attempts to start the second half. The Magic took advantage of the lull, building a 16-point lead. They outscored the Heat 39-18 in the frame to carry a 97-72 edge into the fourth quarter.

The Heat, who made just 5 of 19 shots in the third quarter, outscored the Heat 25-19 in the fourth, but were never close to completing a comeback.

"Credit to the guys for focusing on the game plan and knowing what was working and what was not," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said.

Banchero made 12 of 24 shot attempts, including four 3-pointers. Forward Franz Wagner chipped in 23 points. Harris finished with 18 points off the bench.

Rozier led the Heat with 19 points. Heat star Jimmy Butler made just 1 of 8 shots and totaled three points in the loss.

The Magic out-rebounded the Heat 67-51. They held a 25-9 edge in second-chance points.

"It's fun when we get stops," Harris said of the Magic. "We got to get out and run."

The Heat (0-1) will take on the Charlotte Hornets (1-0) at 7 p.m. EDT Saturday in Charlotte, N.C. The Magic (1-0) will host the Brooklyn Nets (0-1) at 7 p.m. Friday in Orlando.