The Sports Xchange
Dec 30, 2017
ORLANDO -- Tyler Johnson scored a season-high 31 points to lead the Miami Heat to a 117-111 victory over the Orlando Magic Saturday night at the Amway Center.
Goran Dragic scored 25 points, including nine in the closing 3:30 to spark late rally by the Heat (19-17).
Kelly Olynyk had 17 points and six rebounds. Hassan Whiteside had nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Wayne Ellington had 12 points for the Heat.
The Magic were led by Aaron Gordon, who scored 39 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Evan Fournier scored 23 points. Jonathon Simmons had 12 points, six rebounds and six assists. Bismack Biyombo had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Elfrid Payton had eight points and a game-high 13 assists.
Miami grabbed its first lead since early in the opening quarter when Dragic hit a floater with 1:52 remaining. He hit a second basket for the 109-105 lead 17 seconds later following a backcourt violation by Payton.
Johnson scored 22 points -- hitting 10 of his 11 shots -- in the third period when he cut Orlando's lead from 18 to just four. The Magic led, 92-86, going into the fourth.
The Magic led 66-50 at intermission by shooting a season-best 67.5 percent (26 of 38) from the field. They also made seven of 12 from 3-point range in the first half.
Gordon made seven of his first eight shots and led all scorers with 20 points by halftime. Fournier made six of his first seven.
The Heat, who were coming off a 24-point loss at home Friday night, scored seven of the game's first nine points, but they trailed by 11 points after the first quarter.
NOTES: Heat F Kelly Olynyk made his first nine free throws before missing his 10th late in the third quarter. ... The Magic placed rookie F Jonathan Isaac -- the sixth pick of the 2017 NBA Draft -- on an injury rehabilitation and conditioning program, in hopes of getting him back in the lineup. He sprained his ankle early in November and missed his 22nd game Saturday. ... Magic F Jonathon Simmons played Saturday despite missing the morning workout with an undisclosed illness. ... The Heat trounced the Magic in Miami earlier this week by 18 points. ... Heat rookie G Matt Williams, Jr. played his high school and college basketball in Orlando, growing up less than a mile from the Amway Center. ... The Heat don't return to action until Jan. 3 at home against Detroit. ... The Heat have trailed by 30 points or more in five games this season, the latest coming in Friday night's home loss to the Brooklyn Nets.