A 22-point lead with just 12 minutes remaining in an NBA game typically guarantees victory. Over the past five years, including playoff matches, teams have held such a lead entering the fourth quarter on 796 occasions. Their overall record? An impressive 796 wins, zero losses. However, that record has now changed to 796-1.
On Saturday night, the Orlando Magic executed a stunning comeback against the Miami Heat, overcoming a 25-point deficit in the first half and a 22-point deficit heading into the final quarter to seal a remarkable 121-114 victory. The Magic dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring the Heat by 37 points to just 8.
Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley expressed disbelief at the comeback, stating, “You can’t really explain that. That’s something I haven’t seen. I have not seen that ever in my years in the league.” Meanwhile, Heat star Bam Adebayo acknowledged the team’s failure to maintain intensity, noting, “We relaxed because we were up. I feel like that’s the karma of the game.”
The Magic played the game without key players such as Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Gary Harris, and also saw Moritz Wagner exit the game early due to what appeared to be a serious knee injury. Despite their depleted roster, they managed to match the largest comeback in the franchise’s history.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra commented on the shift in momentum, saying, “This is the modern NBA right now, right? The 20-point lead is not what it was a decade ago, and you have to finish all the way through.”
Statistical anomalies characterized the evening’s game: Orlando’s 29-point scoring margin in the fourth quarter was the highest recorded since the Phoenix Suns outscored the New Orleans Pelicans by 29 points back in February 2021. Miami’s output of just 8 points in the fourth quarter marks the lowest score by any team in a quarter throughout the current season. Interestingly, it had been since 1989 that the Magic came back to win after trailing by 25 points.
A historical comparison shows that the last occasion when a team overcame a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter dates back to December 2019, when the Toronto Raptors achieved it against the Dallas Mavericks after trailing by 30 points at one point.
The night was filled with bizarre statistical achievements for the Heat, who experienced their highest scoring quarter and half of the season in the first (40 points) and first half (76 points), respectively, while simultaneously recording their lowest scoring quarter (8 points in the fourth) and half (38 points in the second) of the season.
During the final quarter, Orlando shot an impressive 14-for-23, while Miami struggled dramatically, hitting only 2-for-18. Cole Anthony emerged as a standout player for the Magic, scoring 13 points in the fourth and finishing with 35 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists as a substitute. This impressive performance echoed a rare achievement, as only once since 1982 has a player recorded such a prolific stat line off the bench, when Stephen Curry scored 40 points from a bench role in a 2016 playoff game.
“I’m so happy for this team, man,” Anthony expressed, highlighting the joy within the Magic organization.