ORLANDO. Fla. — The Miami Heat opened the 2025–26 regular season on the road Wednesday, falling to the in-state rival Orlando Magic, 125–121, in a back-and-forth matchup.
Norman Powell led Miami with 28 points in his Heat debut, while Bam Adebayo added 15 points and 12 rebounds.
The Heat came out strong, scoring 39 points in the first quarter and hitting 6 of 11 from 3-point range to take a 39–38 lead — the highest-scoring quarter in the 143-game history between the teams.
Miami cooled off in the second quarter, scoring just 26 points as Orlando took a 69–65 lead into halftime.
The Heat’s shooting struggles continued in the second half, hitting only 1 of 8 from beyond the arc in the third, though their defense kept the game close. Miami led 91–90 entering the fourth quarter.
The Heat built a seven-point lead midway through the final period but went more than four minutes without a field goal. Jalen Suggs put the Magic ahead for good with a midrange jumper with 58.7 seconds remaining.
The loss marked Miami’s second straight season-opening defeat against Orlando.
The Heat look to bounce back Friday when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies.
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