Paolo Banchero Scores 24 as Magic Beat Heat 136-115 in Preseason Finale at Kia Center

The Orlando Magic closed their preseason with a 136-115 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night at the Kia Center, as Paolo Banchero scored 24 points and Desmond Bane hit seven 3-pointers in the final tune-up before both Florida teams open the regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

The in-state exhibition drew 18,846 fans to downtown Orlando, according to ESPN's box score, and it ended Orlando's preseason at 3-1. Miami, which rested Giannis Antetokounmpo and played without Bam Adebayo, finished its exhibition schedule at 3-2. The Heat led 36-34 after the first quarter, but Orlando took a 70-65 lead into halftime and pulled away in the second half, building a lead that reached 23 points.

Banchero and Bane set the tone

Banchero did much of his damage at the free-throw line. The Magic forward went 5 of 11 from the field and 13 of 16 on free throws in 26 minutes, adding seven rebounds and four assists while finishing plus-9. His 16 free-throw attempts were more than Miami attempted as a team; the Heat went 12 of 19 at the line, while Orlando went 31 of 42.

Bane, entering his second season in Orlando, was the Magic's most efficient perimeter scorer. He finished with 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including 7 of 12 from 3-point range, in 24 minutes. Franz Wagner added 11 points, six rebounds and six assists in 19 minutes, and Jalen Suggs had eight points and four assists.

Orlando shot 51% from the field (44 of 87) and 40% from 3-point range (17 of 43), and it outrebounded Miami 51-44. The Magic also won the transition battle, outscoring the Heat 18-8 on fast-break points and 50-44 in the paint.

Orlando's bench pulls away

The game turned on the depth of Orlando's rotation. Veteran center Nikola Vucevic, whom Local 10 described before the game as a source of experience and depth for the Magic frontcourt, had 13 points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench and finished plus-13. Jamal Cain made 6 of 7 shots for 14 points, and Tristan da Silva scored 12 points with a team-best plus-17 rating, a mark matched by guard Jevon Carter.

JD Davison went 3 for 3 for 10 points in seven minutes, Malaki Branham scored seven, and Kevin Knox II added seven, including a late 3-pointer. Orlando outscored Miami 38-30 in the third quarter to take a 108-95 lead into the fourth, then won the final period 28-20.

The quarter-by-quarter scoring, from ESPN's box score:

Heat rest their stars and lean on reserves

As Local 10 had anticipated in its preview, both teams were cautious with their starters' minutes. Miami's starting five of Andrew Wiggins, Bobby Portis, Nikola Jovic, Klay Thompson and Davion Mitchell each played 15 minutes. Wiggins scored 13 points, Portis had 12 points and five rebounds, and Jovic added 12 points and six rebounds on 4-of-6 shooting. Thompson went 0 for 7 from the field, all but one of those attempts from 3-point range, though he had three assists.

The Heat's leading scorer was Ryan Conwell, who played 30 minutes off the bench and scored 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting with seven assists. Center Nick Richards had nine points and 11 rebounds in 18 minutes, and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored seven points in nine minutes. Miami shot 43% overall (44 of 103) and just 29% from 3-point range, making 15 of 52 attempts.

Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP whom the Heat acquired in the offseason, did not play. ESPN's injury report listed him as resting. Adebayo was listed as day-to-day with a groin issue, guard Dru Smith with a calf injury and Pelle Larsson with an illness. Antetokounmpo had already shown his impact in exhibition play at the Kaseya Center, where he posted 20 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists in a 144-128 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.

How the preseasons played out

For Orlando, Friday's win capped an exhibition slate under first-year head coach Sean Sweeney, who took over after the Magic's playoff exit against Detroit last spring cost Jamahl Mosley his job. The Magic opened with a 122-118 win at Memphis, lost 119-105 at Cleveland, beat the Cavaliers 132-116 in their first home exhibition on Tuesday and then handled Miami.

The Heat's preseason featured a revamped roster. Miami added Antetokounmpo and Portis in the offseason, along with Thompson and Hardaway Jr. for outside shooting, according to Local 10. The Heat beat Toronto 129-105, New Orleans 128-118 and Brooklyn 144-128, with a 125-124 loss to Minnesota in between, before Friday's defeat in Orlando.

Injury watch for Orlando

Orlando played without forward Jonathan Isaac and guard Anthony Black, both of whom ESPN listed as day-to-day, Isaac with a knee issue and Black with an ankle injury. Forward Noah Penda (hamstring) and guard Jase Richardson (back) also appeared on the injury list but played briefly. Wagner was listed as day-to-day with a shoulder issue, though he started and logged 19 minutes. The Magic have four days to sort out their availability before the opener.

What's next

Both teams open the 2026-27 regular season at home on Wednesday, Oct. 21. The Magic host the Atlanta Hawks at the Kia Center at 7 p.m., while the Heat host the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Kaseya Center at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. The first week of each schedule, according to ESPN:

South Florida viewers will be able to watch the majority of Heat regular-season games, at least 68, on WPLG Local 10 under the station's expanded media rights agreement with the team. The in-state rivals will meet again in games that count later in the season; Friday's result was the first look at how the two rosters match up, even with Miami's new star watching from the bench.