MIAMI – With the Miami Heat in a crucial stretch ahead of the All-Star break, especially coming off a brutal five-game road trip that had them play all of that in seven days, Wednesday's contest against the Orlando Magic was a vital one. Though the Heat are surrounded by trade rumors, the team still has to play games, and more importantly, find consistency, as they dropped another game to their in-state rival, 133-124.
Miami and Orlando have played four games so far this season, with the latter taking every game, as Wednesday night had another instance of coming out flat in the third quarter. The Magic outscored the Heat 40-20 while Miami committed 18 turnovers, leading to 24 points, and gave up 64 points in the paint.
For Norman Powell, it's time for the team to stop “making excuses” for their deficiencies.
“We can't just keep making excuses for it, ‘we're a young team,' this, that, and the other,” Powell said, as he recorded 22 points in the loss. “If we want to do something special. Well, we can't have that. There's young teams in this league dominating, coming out with the right energy, focus, and intent every single game. So it's something that we got to collectively band together and get right, or we're going to get left, and we're going to be looking back at how we could have done this, should have done this, and the other, so we got to get better, and it has to start now.”
Norman Powell on the Heat coming out flat.
“We can’t just keep making excuses for it, ‘we’re a young team,’ this, that, or the other. If we want to do something special, we can’t have that, there’s young teams in this league dominating…” #HeatNation
Full response: pic.twitter.com/CGnkgmxT5n
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) January 29, 2026
The Magic have been frustrating for the Heat this season
Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) has a few words with Miami Heat forward Simone Fontecchio (0) during the first half at Kaseya Center.
Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
As Heat's Erik Spoelstra put Bam Adebayo and the team on blast for their defensive effort on the road trip, those struggles carried into the loss to Orlando on Wednesday. The closest thing that Miami could be compared to is like a broken record, especially against the Magic, where they come out and have impressive first halves, but fall apart in the second, as pointed out by Spoelstra.
“In basically all four games, we've had great first halves, and just have not been able to sustain it against that team,” Spoelstra said. “We started out flat. It's hard to explain that. Slowed the pace down, then they were scoring, then led to us turning the ball over. We had some really deflating offensive possessions…we couldn't guard, to give up a 40-point third quarter on our home floor with great opportunity and playing really well in the first half, we just paid the price for that.”
Erik Spoelstra speaks after the Magic loss about another dreadful third quarter. Would credit another poor defensive effort, said Heat missed a great opportunity tonight. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/qCpurQ30I2
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) January 29, 2026
If there was one person who held himself accountable, it was Powell, who said to ClutchPoints that Spoelstra called him out for his defense.
“I got to be better. Coach called me out about it,” Powell said. “Specifically, being in the help position and in the low man area and making a stand. So I got to be better in that end as well, and come out with a better defensive approach and intensity to the game and kind of set the tone where I'm at in my position to help feed those guys who are battling and doing the tough things one-on-one…I take that on me and just how we come out, and I'll be better coming forward and making sure that collectively as a team, we have a better approach and mindset, especially going into the second half.”
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Asked Norman Powell about the defensive struggles that the Heat have been dealing well, talked about personally taking accountability.
“I got to be better, Coach called me about it…I got to come out with a better defensive approach and intensity…” #HeatNation
Full response: pic.twitter.com/KNHEcL8zv6
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) January 29, 2026
Heat's Norman Powell on what needs to change
While some fans are thinking about what the Heat should trade to get Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, the team themselves have other areas to figure out on the court. The team is looking for answers on how they can stop coming out flat, which Powell mentioned happened at the start of the game and going into the third quarter.
“We came out flat to start the game…figured it out, got it going, bench came in, changed the game,” Powell said. “When we went zone, were able to build a lead going into half, and then we just came out flat again. I don't know if individually we got to do something different to prepare [or] collectively.”
However they fix it, Miami needs to do it with urgency as the halfway point of the season has passed and the team needs crucial victories to get themselves out of play-in tournament and eighth seed purgatory. These sentiments would be echoed by Powell.
“Definitely got to make a change in just how we come out to start the second half, because these games are important,” Powell said. “We can't keep having games where we have an opportunity to get a good win, signature win, and we don't seize that opportunity, especially now, crunch time coming in…this is where all the positioning and seedings and stuff start to take place if we want to do something in the playoffs and get out of the play-in.”
Norman Powell spoke on the Magic getting the upper hand on the Heat.
Spoke more on how there needs to be a change as crunch time approaches.
“I don’t know if individually we got to do something different to prepare, collectively…”
Full response: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/yfopxCj2tx
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) January 29, 2026
Simone Fontecchio led the Heat with 23 points on a career-high six made three-pointers as Bam Adebayo recorded 21 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. At any rate, Miami is 25-23 as they next take on the Chicago Bulls on Thursday and two more times in a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday.