Miami, FL
Trade deadline looms as Magic close trip with loss in Miami
MIAMI — Tuesday’s meeting against the Heat at Kaseya Center served as an important matchup for the Magic on multiple levels.
It wrapped up a five-game trip that was successful for Orlando, closed out the regular-season series with Miami (27-24) in a tight Eastern Conference and marked the Magic’s final game before Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline.
Tuesday’s game, a 121-95 loss, might have been the last time this version of Orlando’s roster plays together.
It can be a touchy subject with any locker room.
“No,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said pregame when asked if he addressed that reality with his team.
Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel
Terry Rozier attempts a floater over the reach of Magic forward Paolo Banchero on Tuesday night. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
It’s a discussion typically held between front offices and players and their agents. Not directly between players and coaches.
Whether or not the Magic (27-24) make a move before the deadline, the return of a healthy roster has naturally forced some players out of Orlando’s rotation.
Rookie Anthony Black, who started 29 games while Markelle Fultz had missed a significant amount of time with left knee tendinitis and with guard Gary Harris out, has seen his minutes diminish. Both vets have returned to action.
Black played three minutes of garbage time Tuesday while Fultz (13 points) and Harris (7 points) played from behind with Orlando, which struggled from the opening tip and trailed by as many as 24.
The same goes for reserve center Goga Bitadze, who made 31 starts in place of Wendell Carter Jr., including 20 straight after Carter fractured his left hand. Bitadze has played five minutes total in the last seven games, including three Tuesday.
Mosley acknowledged what Black and Bitadze have provided to the team while making it clear the duo, as well as Orlando’s entire bench unit, what’s ahead.
“Each one of these guys, whether they’re in the rotation or out of the rotation, I think the level of communication continues to stay the same,” Mosley said. “You’re constantly staying ready, no matter when your number is called.
“When guys were out, those guys stepped up big time. Big, big time for us. And they’ll continue to do so as these guys continue to pull for one another no matter the time of the year.”
Black, a first-round draft pick last season, and Bitadze (free-agent signing) weren’t brought in to be starters. They’re role players by definition, which means they can be in or out of the rotation at any time. When the team is fully healthy, playing time will be sparse.
But, of course, someone can get injured in a game to change the rotations. Or get into foul trouble. Or the team comes out flat and Mosley needs a spark so he shakes up the lineup.
There’s no guarantee how much Bitadze and Black, or anyone else, will play after the trade deadline.
That’s part of the job description.
“I really think these guys are always ready to go whenever their number is called,” Mosley said. “It’s a long season and we all know it. You don’t predict the things that are going to happen within an 82-game season but you ask that these guys stay ready, they stay prepared.”
Paolo Banchero (23 points) led Orlando on Tuesday, but the Heat had seven players score in double figures led by Jimmy Butler (23) who single-handedly shut down a fourth-quarter run.
The Magic return to Kia Center on Thursday after the deadline for their second and final meeting of the season with No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
Email Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on X, known as Twitter, at @therealBeede.
Miami, FL
South Florida mother arrested for leaving daughter chained to fence, police say
Miami, FL
3 hurt in fire on Lincoln Road that started underground
Three people were hurt after a building caught fire on Lincoln Road on Sunday, according to authorities.
The Miami Beach Fire Department said it was working a fire near 230 Lincoln Road.
The flames had spread from a fire in a manhole that “ignited an FPL vault of an adjacent building,” officials said.
Three people were taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center with minor injuries.
The building was evacuated, and FPL has shut off power to the surrounding area, the fire department said.
Drivers were asked to avoid the area of Collins Avenue between 16th and 17th streets while crews worked the scene.
Miami, FL
“Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” star Tommie Lee among 6 arrested during World Cup match in Miami, sheriff says
Reality television personality Tommie Lee — whose real name is Atasha Jefferson — best known for her appearances on “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta,” was among six people arrested during the England vs. Norway FIFA World Cup match in Miami on Saturday, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said 60,024 fans attended the match. Deputies also reported 19 ejections from the stadium, adding that all incidents were isolated and handled quickly.
Authorities have not yet released the circumstances surrounding Jefferson’s arrest or any charges she may face.
A social media account that regularly reports celebrity news claimed Sunday that Jefferson was arrested July 11 and released July 12 after posting a $1,000 bond. The post also alleged she is facing a felony charge of interference with a sporting or entertainment event and said she later shared a video on Snapchat appearing to be in good spirits after her release.
What we don’t know
CBS News has not independently verified those claims, including the reported charge, bond amount or release information, and Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office has not publicly confirmed those details.
CBS News has also not independently verified what led to the encounter, and the sheriff’s office has not said what prompted deputies to take Jefferson into custody.
CBS News has requested Jefferson’s arrest report, booking information and any charging documents from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. A request for comment has also been sent to Jefferson’s representatives.
Reality TV star’s legal troubles in South Florida amid World Cup festivities
Jefferson rose to national prominence as one of the breakout personalities on “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” before later appearing on several Zeus Network reality series, where she has remained a frequent cast member.
This is not Jefferson’s first legal issue in South Florida. In 2024, she was arrested in Miami Beach on a battery charge following an incident outside LIV Nightclub. Court records from that case alleged she physically confronted another person before officers took her into custody.
Saturday’s arrest comes as Miami continues hosting FIFA World Cup matches that have drawn tens of thousands of fans from around the world. Despite the arrests and ejections, the sheriff’s office said the event proceeded safely and described the incidents as isolated.
This is a developing story. CBS News will update this article as additional information, including the exact circumstances surrounding Jefferson’s arrest and any charges, becomes available.
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