Heat rally in regulation's final minute, top Magic in overtime
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- It will be a while before the Miami Heat fully figure out how they will adjust without Chris Bosh in the lineup.
In the meantime, they're continuing to find different ways to win.
Luol Deng had 21 points, Dwyane Wade added 18 and the Heat rallied to defeat the Orlando Magic 93-90 in overtime Wednesday night.
Hassan Whiteside added 15 points and 13 rebounds. The Heat have won three of four since losing Bosh for the season with a blood clot in his lung.
"The ball wasn't going in for anybody, but you've got to keep shooting and just hope that the basketball gods change their mind," Wade said. "And they did that for us."
The Magic squandered an eight-point lead with less than a minute play in the fourth quarter, allowing the Heat to send the game to extra time.
Wade had four points in the period, and new acquisition Goran Dragic connected on two game-sealing free throws.
Nik Vucevic had all five of the Magic's points in overtime, and finished with 26 points and eight rebounds. Victor Oladipo had 13 points and a career -high 13 rebounds.
But Orlando struggled from the free throw line, going just 18 for 31 for the game. There were also some shaky late-game possessions and turnovers that allowed Miami to stay in the game.
Wade found Hassan Whiteside underneath for a dunk to put the Heat up 87-86, then got free in transition for a layup to give the Heat an 89-86 lead.
Vucevic's jumper got the Magic back within a point. That was still the score when Orlando's Tobias Harris corralled a missed jumper by Wade with 27.7 seconds left.
But coming out of a timeout, Vucevic was stripped by Henry Walker, forcing the Magic to foul Wade.
He hit both free throws to make it 91-88.
Vucevic got a hook in the lane to cut it back to a point. Orlando fouled Dragic immediately, and he connected on both free throws.
Oladipo got off a clean look at a 3, but it bounced off the side of the rim and the Heat rebounded as time expired.
"This is going to sting tonight and it's going to sting even more in the morning," Magic interim coach James Borrego said. "We've had two very tough losses, but we will learn from them."
The Heat stayed close and was trailing 77-74 with a chance to tie in regulation, but turned it over on a shot clock violation. Two free throws by Harris and a layup by Willie Green then gave Orlando an 81-74 cushion.
Miami kept coming, and cut the Magic's lead to 84-82 on a 3-pointer by Walker with 22.4 seconds to play.
Oladipo was fouled, but connected on just one of his two free throw attempts.
Miami ran down the clock and got Walker free again for the 3 that sent the game to overtime.
"He kept on shooting and that's what you like. He has fearlessness about him," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
TIP-INS
Heat: Miami won despite going just 6 for 31 (19.4 percent) from the 3-point line. ... Deng was briefly lost with less than 10 minutes to play in regulation. He was hit in the back of the head when Chris Andersen brought his arm down after blocking a shot by Orlando's Harris. Deng returned to the lineup at the 3:33 mark with Orlando still clinging to 73-71 advantage.
Magic: Finished with 19 turnovers. ... Rookie F Aaron Gordon left late in the first half with a sprained right ankle and did not return.
COMMISSIONER VISIT
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was at the game Wednesday after serving as the keynote speaker at a Magic sponsorship event earlier in the day. It was his first visit to Amway Center since taking over for David Stern.
UP NEXT
Heat: At New Orleans on Friday.
Magic: At Atlanta on Friday.
