Tyler Herro delivered a game-winning 19-foot jumper with just 0.5 seconds left, lifting the Miami Heat to an 89-88 victory over the Orlando Magic on Thursday night. Herro’s performance helped Miami improve to 15-13 on the season while snapping Orlando’s three-game winning streak.
The Heat clawed back from an early 17-point deficit, fueled by Herro’s 20 points and Alec Burks’ 17 off the bench. Herro’s late-game heroics came after Goga Bitadze tipped in a shot with 4.9 seconds remaining, briefly giving Orlando a one-point lead.
Miami leaned on its perimeter shooting, hitting 15-of-30 from beyond the arc, including six triples in the fourth quarter. Alec Burks scored 11 of his points in the final frame, playing a pivotal role in Miami’s comeback. Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 15 points, while Haywood Highsmith contributed nine with three made three-pointers.
Orlando, now 19-13, wasted a strong outing from Jalen Suggs, who tallied a game-high 29 points on 10-of-21 shooting. Tristan da Silva chipped in 18 points and six rebounds, while Bitadze had 10 points and 14 boards. However, the Magic’s struggles from three-point range (5-of-29) and 23 turnovers proved costly.
Miami played its third consecutive game without Jimmy Butler, who sat out with a coach’s decision. Despite Butler’s absence, the Heat avoided repeating last Friday’s collapse against the Magic, when they squandered a 22-point fourth-quarter lead.
Orlando began the game strong, scoring 31 points in the first quarter, but managed only 57 over the final three frames. Jalen Suggs missed a contested long jumper at the buzzer, sealing Orlando’s fate.
