Paolo Banchero collected 20 points and 10 rebounds to fuel the host Orlando Magic to a 105-87 victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday night.
Banchero made 7 of 14 shots from the floor and 3 of 5 from 3-point range to help Orlando defeat its Sunshine State rival for the first time in three meetings this season.
Franz Wagner recorded 19 points and five assists in his return from an eight-game absence due to a right ankle sprain.
Wendell Carter Jr. totaled 17 points and nine rebounds, Markelle Fultz had 12 points and Jalen Suggs added 11 for the Magic, who pocketed just their second win in seven outings.
Orlando shot 47.4 percent from the floor (37 of 78) and held a decisive 54-36 edge in points in the paint.
Miami’s Bam Adebayo finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists and Jimmy Butler added 15 points. Tyler Herro drained four 3-pointers to account for his 12 points and Caleb Martin had 11 points for the Heat, who mustered a season low in points en route to losing their third straight game.
Miami didn’t help itself by shooting just 37.5 percent from the floor (30 of 80) and committing 18 turnovers.
Butler sank a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions early in the third quarter to forge a tie at 52-52 before Orlando went on a 21-6 run. Suggs scored seven points and Wagner and Banchero each added five in that sequence.
The Heat shaved their deficit to 12 at 81-69 at the end of the third before the Magic scored the first eight points of the fourth. Fultz made a pair of baskets to improve to 6-for-6 from the floor on the night.
Carter added a layup and a 3-pointer to push Orlando’s lead to 100-78 with 6:23 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Magic were not seriously threatened the rest of the way.
The Magic carried a three-point lead into the second quarter and scored 14 of the first 22 points of the frame to seize a 36-27 lead. Cole Anthony calmly sank a corner 3-pointer to cap the run, however, the Heat trimmed their deficit to 48-46 at halftime after Martin made a layup just before the buzzer.
–Field Level Media
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