Heat storm back to 125-119 2OT win over Magic behind Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, Kel'el Ware

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun Sentinel on Jan 27, 2025

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MIAMI – Jimmy Butler might have thought he escaped the abject mediocrity earlier in the day, with his third team suspension of the season.

But instead of those left behind reduced to flailing and failing, the Miami Heat put together one of their best character wins of the season, battling back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to a 125-119 double-overtime victory Monday night over the Orlando Magic at Kaseya Center.

“So many times this season it felt like we fought so hard and ended up on the short end of it,” guard Tyler Herro said. “Just happy with the way we continued to fight tonight.”

So instead of the Heat’s big three being a man down with Butler out, there still were three leading men for Erik Spoelstra’s team, with Herro closing with 30 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds, Bam Adebayo with 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and Kel’el Ware with 19 points and 20 rebounds.

And therefore, instead of a sixth loss in eight games, now back-to-back victories by building off Saturday night’s road victory over the Brooklyn Nets and a 23-22 record.

This time with plenty in support, including 15 points apiece from Nikola Jovic and Duncan Robinson.

Five Degrees of Heat from Monday night’s game:

— Closing time: The Magic led 29-27 after the first quarter, 59-55 at halftime and 88-79 going into the fourth.

The Magic then went up 14 early in the fourth quarter, before the Heat rallied all the way back to tie it 108-108 at the end of the fourth quarter on an alley-oop conversion by Ware off a Jovic feed.

The Heat then came back from a six-point deficit in the first overtime to send it to the second overtime at 116-116 on a Jovic inside score.

The Heat then went up four early in the second overtime on a pair of Adebayo baskets, with a second-chance 3-pointer from Herro later putting the Heat up 124-119 with 1:35 to play.

Another Adebayo basket, a 16-foot jumper with 62 seconds to play effectively ending it.

— Life without Butler: The latest contretemps with Butler began when Spoelsta informed the team at the morning shootaround that it would be the same starting lineup as in Saturday night’s road victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

That meant Haywood Highsmith starting in place of Butler at small forward, with Butler leaving the practice shortly thereafter.

Highsmith again took the challenge of the opposing top wing, in this case Franz Wagner.

But highsmith’s lack of offense again left the Heat at scoring deficit, closing with four points a game after going scoreless as a starter in Brooklyn.

— Herro ball: With Butler suspended and Jaime Jaquez Jr. not available due to a stomach ailment, it made it Herro or bust on offense.

To his credit, even with the 3-point shot off early, Herro still got to his spots often enough to help carry the offense.

Herro was up to 20 points at a stage when no other Heat wing had more than Terry Rozier’s seven.

Through three quarters, Herro had taken 22 shots, as many as the remainder of the Heat starting lineup.

Herro will find out Thursday if he made his first All-Star Game, when the reserves are named.

— Ware-withal: Ware did not now allow two early fouls to take him off his game, even as he had to exit the game with 8:50 left in the opening period.

He came back to again score in double figures, with the first of his three third-quarter 3-pointers giving him at least one in six consecutive games.

When Ware moved up to 4 of 4 on 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, a disbelieving Magic forward Paolo Banchero simply covered his eyes.

The Ware-Adebayo minutes also were limited by Adebayo being called for his fourth foul with six minutes to play in the third period.

The foul trouble for Ware and Adebayo led to a cameo by veteran big man Kevin Love, who He had not played since Jan. 13, held out of 12 of the previous 13 games.

— The chase: With the victory, the Heat closed the season series with the Magic at 2-2, which could prove to be part of a significant seeding tiebreaker.

With a win, the Heat moved into first place in the Southeast Division. While winning a division does not guarantee a playoff berth, it does stand as a prime playoff tiebreaker.

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