Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins controls the ball from Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva in the second quarter. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Magic beat Heat behind boost from unlikely source

Originally posted on Orlando Magic on SI
By Johnathan Ramlakhan | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 6:08 AM ET

The Orlando Magic gutted out a gritty win against the Miami Heat in their season opener, winning 125-121.

With lofty goals this season, the last thing this team wanted to do was to start on the wrong foot. The Miami Heat brought the pressure tonight and had the lead for much of the second half. The Magic needed every bucket they could get, and second-year player Tristan da Silva gave the team a huge boost in the game against the Heat.

Mike Watters-Imagn Images

da Silva looks sharp vs. Heat

da Silva put up 16 points, making three 3-pointers and shooting 5-8 overall from the field. He was +11 in a game that the Magic only won by four points, only further highlighting his impact on tonight's game.

The new identity of this Magic team will include a faster pace and more 3-point shots. That game plan seemed to play to da Silva's strengths, allowing him to be in continual motion and find himself open off of great off-ball movement.

The timeliness of da Silva’s shots was what made his performance stand out even more. After the Heat built their lead in the third quarter, the Magic went on a run, capped off by da Silva hitting a 3 to take the lead right before the end of the third. In the fourth quarter, when the Heat built their lead up to 7, da Silva hit another big 3 to make it a two-possession game.

Last season, he looked a step behind and wasn’t able to create the margins he needed to get the shots off that he wanted to. This game, he was able to play with more assertiveness and had more confidence in his play.

da Silva showing mental fortitude to hit shots in key moments bodes well for this Magic team. This was the da Silva that the Magic were hoping to get when they drafted him, and if he can continue to be a spark plug off the bench, this team can continue to have the spacing they want around their stars.

The Magic have a ton of young players that they hope will take strides in the right direction this season. If da Silva’s play is an indicator of what’s to come from this Magic team, the excitement will continue to grow as this team gets closer to the playoffs.

da Silva and the Magic face off against the Atlanta Hawks in their next game on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.