Heat rally again, top Magic 110-105 to close 3-0 homestand

MIAMI (AP) —Bam Adebayo has a theory. All these close games that the Miami Heatare playing now, in his mind, are providing valuable lessons todraw upon later this season.

And the factthat they’re winning a lot of those games right now is an addedbonus.

Jimmy Butlerhad 29 points, Adebayo added 20 and the Heat rallied again in thefourth quarter to beat the Orlando Magic 110-105 on Friday night.It capped a 3-0 homestand for the Heat, with those wins coming bythree, four and five points.

“I don’t knowif we just like dogfights,” Adebayo said. “I don’t know if we justlike to make it interesting.”

Max Strusscored 17 points, 15 of them on 3-pointers, for Miami — which moveda season-high six games over .500 at 28-22. Caleb Martin scored 13points, Gabe Vincent had 11 and Tyler Herro had 10 for theHeat.

PaoloBanchero, Franz Wagner and Cole Anthony all had 19 points for theMagic, while Wendell Carter Jr. had 16 and Markelle Fultz added 10.Orlando is 14-10 in its last 24 games, after starting the season5-20.

Turnoverssimply doomed the Magic. They had 20, compared to 11 by Miami — andthe Heat turned Orlando’s giveaways into 32 points. Orlando scored13 off Miami’s turnovers.

“We turned itover,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “When it comes down to it,you’ve got to take care of the basketball. I loved our fight. Iloved the fact that we were in it, in a great environment, on theroad, against a tough team. But you’ve got to take care of thebasketball.”

Strus’3-pointer with 3:01 left in the third put Miami up 73-69. The restof the quarter was all Orlando. The Magic closed the third on a10-0 run, then scored the first basket of the fourth to go up 81-73on a dunk by Moritz Wagner.

And then themomentum swung right back to Miami. The Heat scored 19 of the next25 points to go up 92-87, setting up yet another down-to-the-wirefinish — the theme of this now-completed three-game Miamihomestand.

The Heat beatNew Orleans by four on Sunday, then Boston by three on Tuesday.

“Anytime wewin, it’s a good thing,” Butler said.

TIP-INS

Magic:Jonathan Isaac, who returned to the Magic lineup for the first timein 2-1/2 years earlier this week after knee and hamstring injuries,was inactive on the first night of a back-to-back. He played inOrlando’s games on Monday and Wednesday. ... Anthony had 17 pointsby halftime, matching his best first half of the season. He alsohad 17 by intermission against Atlanta on Oct. 21.

Heat: Rapperand record executive – and the star of one of Miami’s pregame introvideos this season – Rick Ross was at the game celebrating hisbirthday. He turns 47 on Saturday. ... It was Miami’s 50th game ofthe season and 37th decided by single digits; the Heat are 21-16 inthose games. ... The Heat outscored the Magic 54-32 in thepaint.

FIRSTOF 4

It was thefirst of four meetings between the Florida rivals this season.They’ll meet again Feb. 11, March 11 and on the season’s final day— April 9.

The Magichave now played all other teams in the league at least once thisseason. Miami has yet to face New York or Philadelphia.