Dec 9, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) drives to the basket against Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Magic's biggest challenge is versus a team they've dominated

Originally posted on Orlando Magic on SI
By Matt Hanifan | Last updated Mar 14, 2026 6:14 PM ET

Typically, a team's largest obstacle is one they've repeatedly fell short of, one that constant failure provides enough lessons paired with enough motivation to overcome.

However, that's not the case for the Orlando Magic with just 17 games left in the season.

It's against a team -- the Miami Heat -- that they've had a tremendous amount of success against, one who they've bested already four times this season and in six of their last eight meetings.

Orlando is playing its best basketball of the season, but one of the few teams playing arguably better than the Magic is their intrastate rival.

Orlando is 9-3 since the All-Star break, Miami is 9-2; Orlando has a plus-9.2 NET (5th), Heat have a plus-11.2 NET (11.2); the Magic have beaten the Clippers, Lakers, Timberwolves and Cavaliers since the ASB, while the Heat have beaten Houston, a red-hot Hornets team and the top-seeded Pistons.

As we encounter the final month of the season, the stakes -- a potential top-5 seed up for grabs -- have only risen, making it a must-win game for both teams.

Why game versus Heat remains a must-win for Magic:

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

On the surface, it may not look like a must-win.

At the time of publication, Orlando and Miami are currently tied for the No. 5 seed in the East. Both are a 0.5 game ahead of Toronto and two ahead of Philadelphia, losers of five of its last eight and nine of its last 15 after a 30-22 start.

Though the Magic are one game ahead of the Heat in the loss column, they could potentially expand that gap with a rare five-game season sweep.

There are also Southeast Division implications regarding tiebreakers. A win against Miami boosts Orlando's chances of winning the Southeast; if there's a multi-team tiebreaker, that's the foremost distinguisher.

It is also another opportunity for the Magic to reinforce the belief that they have passed their longtime rival. For years, Florida was always the Heat's state. That's been the case for the better part of three decades.

The last three seasons have told a different tale, although both have been marred by injury and inconsistency. On the perfect night, Orlando is the bigger, more physical team.

But we know games between the Heat and Magic will be far from perfect, aesthetically. It will be played in the mud; it will be chippy; it will be a game where both treat it like a playoff game, even if it's just a random Saturday in March.