Desmond Bane torches the Heat's defense and a tale of two quarters in loss to Magic

It's almost felt like the Heat have played in Orlando more than Miami early in this season, as it'll be their third match-up in this young NBA season.

The Heat come into this one 0-2 in that building, while a fully healthy Miami roster was suited up. Franz Wagner out for the Magic.

The Heat went back to their small ball lineup with Davion Mitchell, Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, and Bam Adebayo.

So, let's run through some takeaways from this game:

1. First half: a tale of two quarters.

Dec 9, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) defends Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins (22) during the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Couldn't have had a better start to this game if you're the Miami Heat. 15-0 lead not even three minutes in, everybody getting touches, pace remaining high, and the combo of Tyler Herro and Norman Powell thriving. They hung onto a 13 point lead at the end of the first quarter, but that diminished to only 1 by halftime. What changed? Well, a lot actually. For starters, there's been a real trend with Miami's pace dropping off following the opening quarter. That happened tonight as the output of Miami's bench was just subpar. If Miami is going to play this no-screen offense consistently, the transition, early-clock stuff needs to remain a priority.

2. Davion Mitchell's early impact in return.

Dec 9, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (45) defends Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) during the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

To hit on a Miami Heat offensive positive aside from their usual scorers, it was good to get Davion Mitchell back in the mix after missing a game against the Sacramento Kings. His pace pushing ability with his head up is a main component of this Heat offense, as he was zipping passes all over the court. His shot making ability also continues to go underrated, as his random one-on-one drives just always find a way to create a scoop layup on either side of the rim. All it takes is that composed crossover and quick first step, and he's already past his defensive assignment with no help coming. It's tough to praise either side of the ball on a night like this, as he struggled on defense a bit, which I'll get into now.

3. The Heat get Desmond Bane'd.

Dec 9, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) shoots a three point basket over Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) during the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The Miami Heat got Desmond Bane'd. It's just that simple. He got ignited in a way that is tough to stop when dealing with a shooter of that caliber. But this isn't as strict as a good offensive player finding his flow. The Heat's lackluster defense allowed this. Bane found his flow because of his downhill drives and easy layups in the first half of this game. I praised Mitchell in his return, but it wasn't his best defensive outing in that regard. The defense has been slipping for some time now, and it tends to happen around the same point in the game. They just haven't been as connected on that end as the early season levels.