Nikola Vucevic stars as Orlando Magic overtake Miami Heat in East Playoff picture with win

Yash Matange

Nikola Vucevic stars as Orlando Magic overtake Miami Heat in East Playoff picture with win image

The Magic have sole possession of the East's No. 8 seed, at least for the next 48 hours. 

With six players scoring in double figures, the Magic rolled to a win in Miami and clinched the season series against the Heat (3-1). This is a key win as gives the Magic the tiebreaker should both teams finish with the same record at the end of the regular season. 

All-Star Nikola Vucevic was the pick of the players from both teams, as he went off 24 points, 16 rebounds and five assists on 10-for-18 shooting.


Vucevic was plus-21 in his 35 minutes of action, leading the Magic to their sixth-straight win – the franchise's longest win streak in eight years. 


The Heat lost the game in the second half, after an emotional halftime ceremony where they raised Chris Bosh's No. 1 jersey to the rafters. After being outscored by 15 points (34-19) in the third period, the Heat went from leading by nine at the half to trailing by six at the end of the third quarter. 

Dion Waiters and Dwyane Wade combined for 48 points on 17-for-35 shooting but they didn't receive much support from the rest of the team. 

Based on their remaining schedules, there is not much separating these two teams.

The Heat have eight games remaining (five on the road) with the 16th toughest remaining schedule in the league while the Magic have seven remaining (five on the road) with the 17th toughest remaining schedule in the NBA.

Yash Matange

Yash Matange Photo