Magic had surprising issue in opener vs. Heat

The Orlando Magic are a defensive-minded team, but it didn't look that way in all 48 minutes of their season-opening win against the Miami Heat.

After surrendering 39 points in the first quarter, the Magic settled down a bit, allowing just 26 apiece in the second and third, but had some key defensive stops down the stretch to win in the fourth. Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley addressed the team's defensive efforts against the Heat.

"Off the top, I have to say early on we didn’t do a great job defending without fouling," Mosley said.

"We put them on the line 27 times, in the previous games it was 34 and 38. So, doing a better job defending without fouling, containing the basketball, those were some key pieces. You know, you got to give Miami credit, they played hard, they hit some timely shots, some big shots early on, but our guys were able to keep their composure.”

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner looks on against the Miami Heat. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Magic defense struggles in win vs. Heat

The Magic still hang their hat on the defensive end of the floor, but it may look a little different this season as they try to push the pace more on offense. On top of that, it's only one game, so there's no reason to overreact at this time.

Had the Magic not gotten key defensive stops down the stretch from Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr., the team might feel a little differently about their efforts.

“Well, that’s the beauty of a 48-minute game. You know, you have some time to find what you need to do to get together," Mosley said.

"They were doing a very good job of communicating with one another. You see down the stretch there were huddles, talking about what they needed to do defensively, Oz [Dale Osbourne] was doing a great job down the stretch, talking to the guys about what we needed to do. But their ability to communicate with one another, that’s going to be big for us this year.”

Magic forward Franz Wagner agrees with Mosley, hoping that the team becomes more consistent down the line on defense.

"I think defensively, it’s just inconsistent right now," Wagner said. "I thought the Heat played well, making tough shots, especially in the first half, but I think about half of those we can play better defense on. I think just being more consistent in your spots [and] moving when the ball moves. I think all these things will help us a lot.”

The Magic will have a chance to learn from their mistakes on the defensive end when they play the Atlanta Hawks tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET.

Magic defense struggles in win vs. Heat

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